Aurèlie Malfoy and the Rose's Thorns
by tocryinspiration
Summary: "Oh, don't let your brother see you acting immaturely now. They may transfigure you into a snake. Then you'd be a proper Malfoy." "I am playing the proper Malfoy." "Well, you always were a wonderful actress."
1. Chapter 1

A surprised yelp came from the young girl and her hair turned a bright orange as fingers squeezed her sides where she was ticklish. She smacked away the hands and spun around to see a dark-haired boy grinning triumphantly.

"Hey, Aurèlie," he said casually, as if he had not been the one to tickle her.

"Sirius Black, I told you not to embarrass me!" she scolded.

His grin widened and his eyes sparkled mischievously. "I don't think you need my help with that," he said, pointing to her polka-dotted hair.

She flushed and changed her hair back to its pale white-blond.

"Aurèlie," called Lucius, finding the girl and drawing closer to her. His gaze fell on Sirius. "Oh, hello. You're a Black, aren't you?"

Sirius nodded, doing his best at not showing his disgust at the family name. "Yes."

"Well, you best board the train." He shifted to glance at someone who had called his name and his prefect badge shimmered in the lights. "I'll see you two in Slytherin."

* * *

><p>"I don't really want to sit with you," complained Aurèlie as Sirius pulled her down the train, looking for an empty compartment.<p>

"I don't really care what you want," replied Sirius, finding a compartment. Aurèlie trailed after him. "Besides, you didn't have to follow me."

Aurèlie stuck her tongue out at him.

Sirius chuckled and held his hands up in surrender. "Oh, don't let your brother see you act immaturely. They might transfigure you into a real snake. Then you would be a proper Malfoy."

Aurèlie grinned back. "I am playing the perfect Malfoy." She gestured at her pale appearance.

"You always were a wonderful actress," said Sirius.

She smiled at his compliment and took her hair out of its high ponytail, shaking it out to a bright pink. Caramel color seeped into her pale skin and she blinked several times as her eyes turned a glittering gold.

"Are you a Metamorphus?"

The pair turned to see a messy-haired boy standing in the doorway.

"Yes," said Aurèlie.

"Can I sit?" the boy asked. "Everywhere else is full."

"Sure," said Sirius.

"Thanks," said the black-haired boy, knocking his square glasses slightly askew as he entered the compartment.

Moments later a girl with bright red hair appeared in the doorway. "Do you mind?" she asked. Her voice was slightly scratchy and her eyes were puffy and red around startlingly bright green irises.

The first-years just nodded and she sat in the corner farthest away from them.

"She's been crying," Aurèlie mouthed to Sirius.

He nodded. "So?" he mouthed back.

"Talk to her," she mouthed, kicking him in the shin.

"No way. You talk to her," he mouthed, kicking her back.

After an epic kicking battle, Aurèlie scowled and shifted as to stand and move to sit by the girl but another dark-haired boy came in – Without asking, Aurèlie noted – and sat next to the girl.

The pair talked for a while and Aurèlie grew bored. She turned to the boy sitting next to her and stuck out her hand.

"Hi," she said.

He looked amused, but shook her hand anyway. "Hello."

"I'm Aurèlie," she said.

"My name's James," he replied.

"Sirius," said the boy. Aurèlie leveled a glare at him.

"Bugger off," she said. "I'm trying to have a conversation with James."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Deepest apologies, Your Majesty."

A chuckle came from James. "Do you two know each other?"

"Never met him," Aurèlie said.

"Childhood friends," Sirius said at the same time.

Aurèlie glared at him.

"It's a love–hate relationship," Sirius explained.

James grinned.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," came the voice of the boy that had entered the compartment.

"Slytherin?" James asked.

The girl and boy both turned their gaze towards the trio.

"Who want to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James asked Sirius and Aurèlie.

The pair did not smile.

"Our whole families have been in Slytherin," said Sirius.

"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed all right!"

Sirius grinned.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition," said Sirius.

Aurèlie's jaw tightened and her eyes turned to her lap. She felt eyes on her and lifted her gaze to see the greasy-haired boy look away quickly.

"Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" asked Sirius.

James lifted an invisible sword.

"'Gryffindor, where the brave dwell at heart!' Like my dad."

The greasy-haired boy made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No," said Snape, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy–"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius.

James roared with laughter. Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Ooooooo…"

James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; James tried to trip Severus as he passed.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called, as the compartment door slammed.

"You're an arse," Aurèlie told Sirius.

* * *

><p>Professor McGonagall called "Black, Sirius!"<p>

The boy swaggered up to the professor, grinning at Aurèlie, who smiled back encouragingly, as the professor placed the Sorting Hat on his head.

Hours seemed to pass before the Sorting Hat screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius's face broke into a large smile that was almost the exact copy of Aurèlie's, the only difference was that she hid her's behind her robe when angry shouts of "blood traitor" and boo's came from the other Blacks and various Slytherins.

Sirius gave her an encouraging smile as he passed her to sit at the Gryffindor table. She smiled back, clapping when Potter, James was sorted into Gryffindor as well. She recognized him as the boy from her compartment.

Lupin, Remus and Pettigrew, Peter were sorted into Gryffindor as well, and Goyle, Crabbe, Avery, and Mulciber were sorted into Slytherin.

"Death-Eaters," one girl muttered to her friend, who nodded.

"Evans, Lily!" called Professor McGonagall.

The red-head was sorted into Gryffindor and she sent a sad smile to the boy (Snape, Severus who was afterward sorted to Slytherin) from the train.

"Malfoy, Aurèlie!" called Professor McGonagall.

Murmurs ran through the hall and Aurèlie caught bits like "Oh dear Merlin, not another Malfoy," from the Gryffindor table, and "Why are all Malfoys so pretty?" and "I wonder if she's as cold as her brother," and "I wonder what will happen if she isn't sorted to Slytherin."

A moment before the hat was placed on her head, Aurèlie turned her perfect Malfoy appearance to neon green hair, bright purple eyes and caramel tan skin. A gasp ran through the crowd and Aurèlie spotted Lucius's disapproving look that said "If you don't get into Slytherin, you god damn rebel, I will personally Avada Kedavara you," and Sirius's amused / pleased / encouraging / excited look.

"Another Malfoy?" mused the Hat. "You don't look, act, or think like a Malfoy."

"I'm so confused," Aurèlie confessed.

"You don't know if you should obey your parents and go to Slytherin … or listen to your instincts and go to … do I sense Gryffindor in you?" the Sorting Hat asked, seemingly surprised.

"Please," Aurèlie thought. "I need to go to Slytherin."

"But you would be great in Gryffindor. You do, after all, have a heart of gold and courage to rival Godric Gryffindor's," said the Hat.

"But that's exactly why," Aurèlie thought desperately. "I need to be in Slytherin. For Sirius. His parents will listen to me. They won't hurt him because they know how much he means to me."

The Sorting Hat laughed in her head. "Yes. The courage of a Gryffindor but a mind to solve problems like a Slytherin. You are difficult. I guess the only house for you will be… SLYTHERIN!" the Hat shouted the last word loudly to the Great Hall.

Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table and various boo's and hisses came from the others. Aurèlie tried to catch Sirius's eye as she walked to the Slytherin table but he refused to meet her eye, his expression angry and set like stone.

Aurèlie made her best attempt to smile as her brother and many of the Black's welcomed her.

* * *

><p>"What's your problem?"<p>

Aurèlie had finally found and successfully stopped Sirius after seven straight weeks of avoiding her. As a result, he was currently hanging upside down by the ankle as his friends attempted to get him down.

"Problem?" Sirius said. "You are my problem."

"Well, I'd rather my father not ring my neck–"

"You're a coward, Aurèlie Malfoy. Be like a snake and slither back to your Death-Eater parents," said Sirius coldly.

Aurèlie's jaw dropped and tears prickled at her eyes.

"You know Sirius, I was so happy … so proud when you were sorted into Gryffindor. I was so happy for you. So happy that you were rebelling and being yourself and defying everything our parents have drilled into us since we were born."

Her natural gold hair was curling everywhere wildly, her midnight blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. She lowered her ash wand and he dropped to the ground, splayed on his back.

"I thought we would still be friends," Aurèlie confessed. "I thought, that since you were a rebel against your parents, you wouldn't mind rebelling against a few cocky Gryffindor bastards in order to still be my friend even though I'm in Slytherin."

Sirius sat up, staring at her with wide eyes as all the tears that she had held in over the past eleven years of her life freely gushed out of her dark eyes.

"But, I understand now, that you are one of those cocky Gryffindor bastards," Aurèlie finished. She spun on her heel, lifted her chin with the dignity of a Malfoy and gave him a cold, detached look over her shoulder that contrasted with the tears flowing down her cheeks. "I suppose, if you're going to be a Gryffindor … I should be a Slytherin."

She flicked her ash wand, changing their colors. Then, she walked away, her wild gold curls floating behind her, small teardrops dripping to the floor occasionally, leaving four stunned, green-haired boys behind her.

"You should apologize," said Remus.

"Apologize?" Sirius spat. "I have nothing to apologize for. She's just overreacting like the drama queen she is."

"Nice job," said James sarcastically. "You already broke the Rose of Hogwarts and it's not even Christmas yet."

A small smile spread across the lips of Sirius Black. "She's not broken. Not that easily."

* * *

><p><strong><em><strong><em>this was just a test chapter, i don't know if i'll actually continue it. please review and share your thoughts and opinions, even if you just want to tell me how horrible of a writer i am and that i should go to hell or whatever. everything helps!<em>**_**


	2. Chapter 2

Music blasted from the stereo speakers and pounded through the green-haired girl. Grinning, Aurèlie took another swing from the crappy muggle alcohol bottle in her hand and fell into step with her friend, Fern, letting her hips roll in time to the music. Many people might find girl on girl grinding strange, but to Aurèlie, it was just fun. Plus, the guys seemed to love it. She looked around, flashing smiles at cute boys and winking at a few. Hands grabbed her waist and pulled her into a warm, hard body. Biting her bottom lip, she leaned her head back and wrapped her arms around her new partner's neck, the bottle still in her hand. His hips moved against her's and they began grinding.

Fern winked at her before taking another boy's hand and pulling him toward the stairs. Aurèlie chuckled and turned to face her dance partner. A few inches taller than her five foot four frame, his dark hair was long and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

She refused to sigh sadly at his brown irises, and would later deny that she wished they were a pale grey instead.

He grinned as her hands trailed down his chest, slipping beneath the unbuttoned plaid shirt and gently sliding it off his shoulders. He bent and bit her neck gently as his hands gripped her hips and pulled her closer.

"Aurèlie!"

Sighing, she pulled away and turned to face the person who had yelled her name. John was pushing through the crowd. His light brown hair looked like hands had run through it multiple times, and his playful blue eyes were alight.

"What's up, buttercup?" she asked, unable to help the smirk that crossed her lips as she looked at him.

"Why is it that whenever I find you, you have your hips locked with another guy?" he asked, giving her an exasperated look.

She grinned. "Because you always come looking for me at bad time?" His lips twitched, but he rolled his eyes, still trying to act annoyed. Chuckling, she stepped away from the boy behind her. "Sorry. Did you want something?"

Suddenly a few shouts came from outside the club.

"Damn drunks," John said, standing and heading for the door. She followed, ready to help break up a fight. They pushed past people, making their way to the front door where the commotion seemed to be coming from.

"Let me in!"

"Get out of here!"

"Let me in, I need to talk to her!"

Aur_èlie_ groaned, recognizing the voice. She stalked over to the door and pushed past John to glare at the boy. "What the fuck do you want, asshole?" she snapped.

Lucius sighed at her. "Do you even know what today is, you ignorant little girl?"

Aurèlie scowled. "Yes. Of course I do."

"Then do you know where you should be?" her brother asked.

"At home?" said Aurèlie sarcastically. "Being a perfect Malfoy?"

Lucius gave her a look of disbelief. "You are so lucky I love you enough to go buy all of your books. Today is September 1st."

Aurèlie gasped. She kissed her friends on both cheeks, and said her good-byes before speeding out of the nightclub with her brother.

"Why didn't you owl me?" said the panicking green-haired girl.

"Yes, because Muggles are accustomed to having owls swoop in and deliver letters," said Lucius sarcastically. "I thought you might have learned something by now, you're only going into your _sixth year_ of school."

"Oh, shut it," she snapped. She felt the tug behind her navel as her brother apparated to Malfoy Manor and pushed her into the fireplace, shoving a black robe in her arms.

"Hogwarts," he said loudly above her protests and she was engulfed in green flames.

She stumbled out of the fireplace to see an amused Dumbledore and an annoyed McGonagall.

"Hello, Professors," said Aurèlie, suddenly very aware that she was wearing a very short gold dress.

"Good evening, Miss Malfoy," said Dumbledore in his normal peaceful, self-pleased way. "I see you have your robe."

Aurèlie looked down at the black bundle in her hands. "Uh, yes. I'm very sorry-"

"We've already heard from your brother, Miss Malfoy," said McGonagall. "Please make your way to the Great Hall."

Aurèlie nodded, shrugging on the robe and gracefully exited the room.

**i know it's really short but i just need this chapter to be in between the first and the next. as result of it's shortness, ill post the next chapter today too! but a little while later :) reviews are really helpful, even if youre just saying "write more!" or "this sucks!"  
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	3. Chapter 3

The click of heels sounded down the steps and eyes turned to watch the girl walk past. James smacked Sirius on the arm as she walked into the Great Hall, interrupting the story he had been telling about a girl he met at a pub that he was too young to be in. She was naturally blonde but with a golden shine and wild curls that contrasted the straight almost white blond of other Slytherins. She possessed a beautiful face, with plump cherry red lips, a straight nose, perfect arched eyebrows and midnight blue eyes. She wore a shimmering gold strapless dress that went down to her mid-thighs under her standard black robes, that the boys were fairly certain McGonagall would give her hell for not changing out of. Sirius examined the men near her. They looked at the girl with unhidden lust in their eyes. She smirked, the only one who could possibly reciprocate that sarcastic, mocking but somehow kind smile.

"She's late," Remus observed.

"Thought she would have left for You-Know-Who last summer. Being a Slytherin and a Pure-Blood and all," Peter whispered.

"No, she doesn't follow orders well," Sirius grimaced at one of his more painful memories.

James nodded. "Hey, Malfoy!" he called loudly. "Miss me?"

Aurèlie glanced at the teacher's table and gave James the finger before she walked to the Slytherin table and took a seat next to Severus Snape. She smiled at him and said something before he glanced up and smiled nervously at her. Bellatrix Black called something to her from further down the table and she stood and reseated herself by them. They shared a few words that ended in a snarling Bella and a victoriously-smirking, pink-haired Aurèlie before Dumbledore walked in and Aurèlie scooted back down to where Severus sat and whispered something that made Severus chuckle.

"Slimey git," James muttered, looking over to where Aurèlie was tricking Severus into smiling and laughing. "She pities him, that's all."

"Hi Potter," Lily whispered.

James grinned dotingly and turned his entire body towards her. "Hey Evans. How was your summer?"

"She pities him, that's all," Sirius stage-whispered to Remus and Peter, who chuckled as he received an elbow in the ribs.

* * *

><p>Her clock beeped several times and she reluctantly picked her head up, moaning. She glanced at the mirror as she yawned, frowned at the periwinkle hair escaping from the bun she had made last night. She gathered her uniform and sleepily shuffled out of the Slytherin Common Room.<p>

She stumbled to the prefect bathroom and locked the door. She showered quickly and fixed her lime green hair so it looked presentable. She moved to open the door and yelped when a half-naked boy fell into the bathroom.

"Oh, hey, Malfoy," said Sirius, as it was completely natural to be laying on the floor, half in the bathroom, half in the halfway.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I was sitting against the door but you opened it without warning me."

"Why-" Aurèlie stopped, closing her eyes in annoyance. She stepped over him and returned to the common room to grab her school bag.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Severus."<p>

She seated herself beside the introverted boy.

"Hello, Aurèlie," he replied not removing his nose from the book.

She raised an eyebrow at the title. "History of Magic? Care to tell me how many times you've read that?"

He finally glanced up at her and grinned. "About seven."

She laughed as she piled her plate with breakfast.

"I'm here!" a happy voice announced.

"Morning, Lily," she murmured, stifling a yawn. Ladies don't yawn in public.

"Hi! How are you?" Lily asked, her bright green eyes shining.

"Fine. Tired. Potions," she replied, wondering how people were able to be so energetic in the mornings.

She ate her breakfast as Lily chattered away about something idiotic James did while effortlessly ignoring Severus's apologies.

"Hey Evans. Rose. Snivellus," James greeted as he sat next to Lily. Sirius sprawled out on the bench beside him and Peter sat by his feet.

Severus put a leg across Aurèlie's before she could kick the boy across from her. "Don't call me Rose," she snapped.

"You are the Rose of Slytherin," said James.

"It suits you," Remus said as he sat next to her. She glanced at the wiry boy. He was never one to participate in the mindless teasing like the others but he never stopped them either. Today he looked a bit unwell, but it wasn't surprising. He was out every few weeks for some illness or another.

"Thanks," she said cautiously, shifting closer to Severus. Her hair turned a wary cornflower blue, her skin becoming tanner than it already was.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, love, we're just sitting," Sirius said from where his head was under the table. James dangled a piece of bacon and dropped it, presumably into Sirius's mouth.

"If you eat laying down-" Remus started but was interrupted by coughing and Sirius shot upright on the bench, clutching his throat. Aurèlie smirked. James pounded him on the back and he breathed again. "-you'll choke," Remus finished.

Sirius struck his tongue out childishly and put food on his plate. Severus nudged Aurèlie's arm.

"If you'll excuse us," she said, standing. Severus followed her lead.

"Oh! Wait up," Lily called, hopping out from the bench and removing James's arm from her shoulders before hurrying after them.

* * *

><p>"Today we will be making the Elixir to Induce Euphoria..." Professor Slughorn continued lecturing and waving his arms about as he explained. Severus sat beside Aurèlie scribbling away in his potions book while Aurèlie chose to rest her head on her hand and pretend she was listening. She would repeatedly doze off and then snap upright when she leaned too far to the side that her arm bent painfully. "Pair up, that means groups of two Mr Black. Ah, Miss Malfoy!"<p>

Aurèlie shot upright in her seat, shocked from her nap. "Sir?"

"Would you work with Mr Black today?"

Aurèlie wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something horrible. "No, sir, I really don't want to. But I don't suppose you'll give me a choice, will you?"

Professor Slughorn chuckled. "No, Miss Malfoy, I will not."

Aurèlie nodded. "I didn't think you would," she replied, not moving from her seat when she realized that Severus had moved to a different table to work with Lily who steadfastly ignored him.

"So, Malfoy. Are you going to do all the work and get me an Outstanding?" Sirius asked, taking the seat beside her as Slughorn walked away.

"Absolutely not." She met his grey eyed gaze. "Well, I'm going to get an O but I'm not doing it all by my self," she said as if an afterthought.

Sirius laughed.

"Fetch the ingredients," she ordered. He nodded and trotted off to the storage closet with several of the other students. He returned and they set about, mixing and adding and stirring quietly. She surveyed the ingredients.

"You didn't get peppermint," she murmured, her hair unconsciously turning the color of peppermint leaves.

"Peppermint?" Sirius asked. He glanced at the board where the instructions were written in chalk. "There's no peppermint on the board, Rose."

Aurèlie scoffed at him and turned on her heel, stalking away to the cabinet. She found what she was looking for and grabbed one. She took the long way back to her table, snatching Severus's textbook from him as she walked past. He didn't notice – too busy talking to Lily. She tossed the peppermint sprig at Sirius and opened Severus's textbook. She flipped to the page she was looking for and scrawled her notes in it: 'adding a sprig of peppermint may be a tad unorthodox but it tends to counterbalance the occasional side effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking.' She snapped the book shut and looked up to find curious grey eyes on her.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"What are you writing in that book?" he asked.

"Now it just needs to simmer," said Aurèlie, ignoring his question. She sat back on her stool and turned to Sirius. "So, Black, why are you working with me?"

"Well, Malfoy, Slughorn told me to," Sirius replied.

"No, I mean, aren't there four..." she trailed off, looking around the room. "Where's Lupin?"

"Sick," Black said. His quick response and air of casualness made Aurèlie narrow her eyes suspiciously but she said nothing.

As Sirius opened his mouth to speak, Slughorn's voice rung out, "Okay time's up! Let me see your potions!"

He walked around the room slowly. "Very good Mr Snape, Miss Evans. Perfectly brewed. Yours on the other hand, Potter..." he trailed off looking at the electric blue mixture that was definitely not the happy golden yellow potion it was supposed to be. Slughorn looked behind them at Aurèlie's cauldron. "You could dare to learn something from Miss Malfoy. What's this, peppermint? How interesting." He continued along and once everyone had taken a sample to his desk, he dismissed them.

**see, i told you i would update again! two in one day, arent you all lucky ducks?**


	4. Chapter 4

**oh my goodness, guys, i am sososososososososososososo sorry i havent updated in forever. originally, it was because our football team was kind of amazing, and just had to keep winning so by the time i got home i was exhausted and completely not thinking about updating as my face crashed into my pillow. and then, we (my family and i) when to disney world over thanksgiving break...it was like heaven. guys, peter pan kissed me on the cheek. im fairly certain i walked around the magic kingdom in a daze for the entire rest of the day. (if you cant tell, we dont go to disney world very often.) AND THEN we went to universal studios and i could have spent alllll day in the harry potter part. it was so real. i really advise all of you to go there. **

**now that i am done ranting, i want to assure all of you that no, i am not in fact attempting to make you all go to disney world because i work there and i want your money. speaking, of money, i realize that i have never put a disclaimer up. no. i do not own harry potter. i am not j.k. rowling. if i was j.k. rowling, i really dont think i would be spending my time posting stories on fanfiction when i could probably hand said story to any publisher and make even more millions of dollars. **

**so, even though most of you completely skipped over my bold letters of useless blabbering, i would like to thank you for reading this story, even though its probably not as amazing as i hope it comes across as.**

* * *

><p>Aurèlie floated sleepily into the Great Hall, joining her friends at one of the long tables. "Good morning," she murmured.<p>

"Happy-" Lily started, only to be cut off by Sirius Black throwing open the large wooden doors. Everyone, even the teachers, looked up to see him storm down one of the aisles and yank Aurèlie up by the collar.

"Where were you?" he demanded.

"Excuse me?" she snapped, not liking the experience of being manhandled so early in the morning.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" he growled.

Her hair became an angry chocolate cherry color, her eyes flashing dangerously. "What, am I not allowed to wake up early? Do you need a babysitter on the way to the Great Hall?" She knocked his hands off her robes.

"Why are you up early?" he yelled, grabbing her arm. "I didn't know where you were, you could have gotten hurt! You're supposed to be in the Prefect's Bathroom when I get there, and then take even longer when you hear me outside!"

"You're not even supposed to use the Prefect's Bathroom!" She pushed him away, making him stumble. "Why do you even care?"

Sirius took a threatening step forward but hands closed around his arms. Aurèlie looked up to see a panting James and Peter. Remus stood behind them, lookingill. Lily had grabbed Aurèlie's arm somewhere during their dispute.

"Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin," Professor McGonagall clipped, too used to morning arguments between Aurèlie and Sirius to bother caring what it was about.

"Professor!" Aurèlie protested. The boys paused in sitting down. Aurèlie never complained about losing points for her house, in fact, she seemed to enjoy that her efforts to disobey rules were noticed by the teachers.

Professor McGonagall turned with a small smile. "Just because it's your seventeenth birthday does not make you an exception, Miss Malfoy."

Aurèlie pouted. "No fair."

"It's your birthday?" Sirius asked.

Aurèlie ignored him.

"Here," Lily said, pushing a small blue bag toward her. "Happy Birthday."

Ivory curls fell in her face as Aurèlie opened the bag, tossing the paper at James, who sat across from her. She withdrew a small bottle of ink.

"It's invisible to everyone but you," Lily said. "And it refills itself, so you can't run out."

"Thank you," Aurèlie said, shocking everyone for the third time that day.

"Here," Severus mumbled, clearly still uncomfortable with the Gryffindors sitting so close to him.

Aurèlie accepted the box and opened it to find a small gold pocket watch. She clicked it open to discover that it held much more than the time; it showed the date, the weather, the moon phase, her horoscope, her mood (joyed), and had a small built in notepad. "Thank you so much, Severus!" she hugged the small boy, much to the disgust of the others.

"It's not much," said James, handing her a large basket of assorted candies from Honeydukes. How he had gotten there, Aurèlie wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"It's plenty," she murmured. "Thanks."

"This is for you," said Remus quietly , handing her a brown wrapped object that looked suspiciously like a book. She ripped off the paper, threw it at James and inspected the object that was, in fact, a thick, dark blue covered book. The gold title read "Grimm's Fairy Tales" and the pages were old and worn.

"Thank you-" Aurèlie noticed that Remus had disappeared. "Where'd he go?"

"He's sick," James explained.

Aurèlie nodded, turning her attention to Sirius. "Where's your present?"

Sirius smirked. "I haven't found the perfect present yet."

She narrowed her eyes. "You forgot about my birthday."

"Yes," said Sirius. "But, I will find a present. Eventually."

"Eventually," Aurèlie muttered. Her pretend-sulky mood improved when the owl post came, many boxes and bags and letters dropping in front of her. "I am loved."

"Loved," Sirius snorted. "Spoiled is more like it."

"Go away," said Aurèlie. "Why are you here? No one. Likes you."

"You love me and you know it," said Sirius.

"Don't spout nonsense," said Aurèlie.

"It's not nonsense," said Sirius. "Don't be such a bitch."

"It's my birthday!" cried Aurèlie. "You can't argue with me!"

"She's right, you know," James said in response to Sirius's 'help me' look.

They all yelped when a house elf apparated into the pudding on the table.

"Dobby?" Aurèlie asked.

"Oh!" Dobby the house elf turned to face her. "Hello, Miss!"

Aurèlie smiled broadly. "Hello, Dobby. What are you doing here?"

"It's your birthday, Miss!" Dobby held out a shabbily wrapped box.

"Oh, Dobby! You know you didn't have to!" cried Aurèlie.

Dobby placed the box in front of her. "But Dobby wanted to Miss Rose! Please, open it!"

Aurèlie unwrapped and opened the small box, drawing out a small silver spoon twisted into a heart and looped over a chain. She held up the necklace and Sirius snorted. Dobby's face dropped and Aurèlie aimed a kick at his leg, missing and hitting James instead. She sent him an apologetic look before holding the necklace out to Dobby.

"Will you put it on me?"

Dobby's face brightened and he nodded, taking the necklace. He clipped it together and Aurèlie held up the spoon-heart.

"Thank you so much, Dobby," she said. She gently picked up the large-eared house elf and hugged him.

"Dobby has to go now, Miss. Happy birthday!" he squeaked.

"Wait. When's your birthday?" she asked.

"House-elves don't have birthdays, Miss," said Dobby with a small sad smile before he apparated back to Malfoy Manor.

"You're too nice to them," said Sirius.

Aurèlie aimed another kick and this time it connected soundly with his shin, drawing a satisfying yelp from the boy.

* * *

><p>"Pathetic little Snivellus."<p>

Aurèlie redirected her path towards the sound of the teasing voices and yelps. She was not in the mood for this. She had already had to save a first-year from the Giant Squid, taken away fifty points from her own house when someone had slapped her ass, and caught a Ravenclaw trying to sneak into the restricted section of the library. So far, her birthday failed.

"What's wrong, Snivellus, your little girlfriend hasn't come to save you?" James said.

Aurèlie rounded the corner and spotted James levitating Severus several feet in the air by his ankle. Sirius and Peter stood beside him laughing, Remus still absent.

"Who?"

"Malfoy," James continued.

Aurèlie paused in the middle of the hallway.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Severus shouted.

"No?"

"No! I would never date a slut like her!" Severus yelled.

A sob came from somewhere and Aurèlie realized that it was her. Four heads whipped around to face her. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks and she turned, sprinting away. She heard a thud as Severus hit the floor and feet began to pound on the floor, chasing after her. Depressed, dark grey hair streamed behind her as she ran past the dorms, past the Great Hall and through the entrance of the school. She heard yells behind her but she didn't pause as she ran down the stairs and across the yard, straight into the Forbidden Forest. She stopped eventually when her lungs felt like they were going to explode and she leaned against a tree gasping for breath. She realized it was dark, way beyond lights out.

A branch snapped behind her and she turned, expecting it to be one of the boys following her. Aurèlie covered her mouth and bit her lip hard to trap the scream that was rising when she saw a werewolf on all fours prowling towards her. Thousands of thoughts ran through her head, most of them various ways she was going to die. But her brain slowed and a single thought began looping through her mind.

Run.

So she did. Panic taking over, she reverted back to her original form: wild gold curls, midnight blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin scrambled away from the werewolf. She sprinted away as fast as possible, stumbling over branches and her face being cut up by wayward twigs. Claws came from nowhere and slashed her back. Her shirt made a loud ripping sound and she screamed in pain as the claws dug into her skin, trying to snap her spine to paralyze it's prey. She jammed her teeth into her bottom lip, tasting the blood. She tried to ignore to pain as she thought back to her D.A.D.A classes.

"Werewolves don't attack animals," she whispered. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to block out the terror seeping through her. Her bones shifted and she felt herself growing larger and when she opened her eyes she saw that the werewolf had stopped and was looking at her curiously. She gathered her courage and walked closer to it, sniffing. It smelled familiar. She rubbed her beak on its arm and looked up at it. It was staring at her. She cocked her head.

"Do you have a problem?" she seemed to ask.

The werewolf snorted and turned. It left but Aurèlie stayed in her shape until she reached the boundary of the Forbidden Forest. Pain soon became too much and she shifted back to her human self. Blurry human shapes moved in front of her as she collapsed on the steps of the castle.

Aurèlie's eyes cracked open, blinking at the harsh light.

* * *

><p>"Where-" she croaked.<p>

"The Infirmary," a brisk voice said. Aurèlie realized she was lying on her stomach on a bed, her face pressed into the pillow. She looked around, spotting various healing potions on the table next to her and Madam Pomfrey's concerned face beside her.

"When-"

"About three days ago. You've been asleep since."

"How-"

"Black carried you in. Looked awfully scared but considering that gaping hole in your back, it was no surprise."

"Gaping hole-"

"Don't worry, girl, I healed it. And the cuts on your face and legs." Madam Pomfrey turned and poured a glass of something from a black bottle. She handed it to Aurèlie, who wrinkled her nose but drank the mysterious potion anyway. Aurèlie pushed herself up with her arms and sat on the edge of the bed. She set the cup down and stood, swayed for a moment before shuffling over to a mirror. She untied the back of the paper gown and stared at the scars.

"There was a were-" Aurèlie stopped noticing Remus sitting by her bed, napping. "Why is-"

"He came as soon as he heard you were here. The only time he leaves is to eat and sleep, and he only eats because Black or Potter stays instead. He looks very lost and distant when he's awake. I think he blames himself for your injuries, so I let him sleep when he does. He scolds me for it, saying you'll wake and he won't be there but I don't care," Madam Pomfrey said, gently placing her hand on Remus's shoulder. Aurèlie could tell that Madam Pomfrey favored Remus, like most of the teachers in the school.

Remus's eyes fluttered at the contact and he lifted his head. "You're alive," he whispered, before falling back asleep. Aurèlie dressed in the robes someone had brought for her and draped Remus's arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Aurèlie said as she left with the half-asleep Remus.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Sirius asked, intercepting Aurèlie who was sitting in the middle of the hallway. She had half-walked half-dragged the exhausted Remus back to Gryffindor tower and her back was screaming with all the movement.<p>

"Go away, Black," Aurèlie moaned, too much in pain to bother looking at him.

"Did you reopen your back?" said Sirius, panicking now that he saw the small pool of blood on the ground.

Aurèlie shook her head. "No, I opened my eye." She looked up at him, moving her hand so he could see the bleeding scar. "I'm not sure why, I haven't for almost three years-"

"I'm taking you to Madam Pomfrey," said Sirius. When he just stood there, she looked up again. "As soon as I figure out how to carry you."

"Can I have a piggy-back ride?" Aurèlie asked. Her voice was calm and steady, not the voice one would expect from a person with an arson of scars. But Sirius could tell from her appearance being completely natural that she was in too much pain to be able to put thought toward keeping anything different.

He helped her stand and lifted her carefully onto his back. "Did you like my birthday present?" said Sirius.

"What?" Aurèlie mumbled into his hair, beginning to lose consciousness.

"I saved your life," said Sirius smugly. "I think that's a bloody great birthday present."

"Yes. I am eternally thankful," she said sarcastically. Moments later, her eyes slipped shut and she dropped into the black abyss of her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

_'Golden_ light enveloped the crumpled, bleeding beast. Paws turned to hands and feet; chestnut fur turned to tan skin; intimidating muzzle turned to handsome face. Belle's big brown eyes grew impossibly larger as the prince gasped for life.__

__ '"Belle. It's me," the former beast whispered.__

__ 'Belle smiled, her tears vanishing from her pretty face. She opened her mouth to reply-'__

The book was pulled from her hands and Sirius inspected it with a critical gaze.

"Why do you read so much?" he asked.

"What else do you suppose I should be doing?" sighed Aurèlie.

"Spending time with me," Sirius said with a smile that made a girl behind Aurèlie run into a wall.

"Maybe you should read this," Aurèlie said. "There's a character that must have been based off of you."

He grinned. "I always knew those people that write books would be writing about me. I think I'd like seven."

"Authors?" she asked.

"Books," he replied. The black-haired boy cockily flipped to the beginning of the book, effectively losing Aurèlie's page.

"Who?" he asked.

"What?" she said, looking up from a cream colored book she had pulled from her bag.

"Who am I in this book?" Sirius asked.

Aurèlie stared at the wrinkle that had appeared between his brows as he forced his ADHD to calm enough to sit still and read. She frowned, feeling bad, and took the book back. "Here, read this one instead. In this one, you're the good guy."

Sirius obediently took the cream colored book. He offered her the seat on the maroon couch and she curled up against him, folding her long tan legs underneath her.

"You know we're going to give them a heart attack when they come back," Sirius mumbled through her purple hair.

She shrugged, flipping the page. "I'm good at heart attacks."

"How do you even get in here?" asked Sirius. "How do you always know the passwords to the Gryffindor Common Room every single week?"

"My map is better than your map," Aurèlie replied, snuggling loser to him.

Sirius closed his eyes as her scent of caramel apples and lemon tarts and something that was purely Aurèlie invaded his senses.

"I didn't know you had a map."

"James didn't pull the idea out of thin air."

"So your map tells you passwords?"

"My map tells me everything everyone is saying, along with what they're doing, anywhere om Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the Black Lake. If they're not on my map, they're not in the area or they're in the Room of Requirement."

Sirius was fairly certain if she moved any closer they would have to magically merge themselves together.

"Could I possibly see your map?"

Heavy breathing warmed his chest and he looked down to find her asleep.

Sirius smoothed her pink hair, ignored the angry glares from his fanclub, and flipped to the beginning of the cream book.

When James a few minutes later, he gasped loudly and might have fainted had Remus and Peter not grabbed his arms in time.

* * *

><p>"Where's my cauldron?" said James, once he came back to the table with his ingredients. He glared at Aurèlie and Sirius.<p>

The two were supposed to be working on an essay, since Aurèlie had already completed both her and Sirius's Draughts of Peace while Sirius was goofing off with James. However the pair was currently facing James's table as he struggled to complete the potion, while ignoring Snape, who had been paired up with James.

Aurèlie and Sirius blinked at James innocently.

"Well, it couldn't just up and leave," said Aurèlie, doing her best at not laughing. "Unless it grew legs."

Sirius coughed to cover her chuckle. "About time that cauldron ran away. You abuse it so horribly everyday, always filling it with foul concoctions."

"Oh, but we didn't take it or anything," Aurèlie added.

James probably should have realized by his lack of books as well as the cauldron. He probably should have noticed his cloak had been removed from his chair, neatly folded and placed on the desk two behind him. He probably should have noticed Snape's silence throughout the entire process of James being mocked.

But, being James, he didn't notice. "Give me back my cauldron, you evil little-" Aurèlie's hair flashed red "-ginger!"

Aurèlie's hair shrunk up to a silver bob and laughter ripped from the two as a pale hand dropped his things back onto his desk. He followed the arm up to annoyed green eyes.

"I am ever so sorry I moved your cauldron to my table." Lily's voice oozed sarcasm. "I was under the impression that you wanted to work with me. Aurèlie, get away from these assholes and come work with Alice and me."

Sirius fell of his stool with laughter as a fuming Lily led Aurèlie away. James sent a jinx at Snape in fury.

"I hate you. And that woman. So, so much," James moaned.

"Alice!" Lily called.

A pretty girl with a heart-shaped face and dark brown hair in a pixie cut glanced up at the two girls. "Hey, Lily."

"This is Aurèlie," said Lily.

Aurèlie smiled unsurely. "Uh, hi."

"Hi!" Alice chirped. "You're a Slytherin, right? I'm Gryffindor. Too bad, maybe we could have been friends by now."

"Alice doesn't care if you're a Slytherin," Lily whispered in Aurèlie's ear.

Aurèlie's smile became a bit more real.

"You're friends with the boys, right? Rather recent, huh?" Alice seemed to ponder for a moment. "They're hot, but I'm not jealous like the other girls. I've got my eye on someone else."

"Frank Longbottom," Lily giggled.

Alice's cheeks turned pink and slapped at her arm. "Shut up!"

Aurèlie glanced around the room. "Isn't that him over there?"

Alice grew redder. "No."

"Yes," Lily said at the same time.

"Hey, you're a Malfoy, aren't you?" said Alice.

Aurèlie blinked. "Uh, yes."

"Do you have the tattoo?" she asked curiously.

"Alice!" Lily scolded.

Aurèlie let out a breathy laugh and held out her bare arms for inspection. "No, I don't support Lord Voldemort."

At once every eye in the Potions Classroom was on her. Aurèlie glanced at Bellatrix and her cronies and at Snape and at Lily and finally rested her gaze on a pair of striking grey eyes.

"What?" she said loudly. "Just cause I'm in Slytherin doesn't make me evil."

"Not a snake then?" James asked.

Aurèlie's eyes never left Sirius's. "Maybe I don't want to be a proper Malfoy anymore."

Suddenly she was being crushed and Aurèlie was sure Bellatrix had hexed her, but then she looked down to see Lily and Alice hugging her tightly on both sides. Sirius grinned and she returned it with her own genuine smile, the first of many.

* * *

><p>"Can I call you Jamie?"<p>

"No."

"What about Jim?"

"No."

"What about Jimmy?"

"No!"

"What about-"

"I said no, woman!"

Aurèlie pouted and leaned back on Remus, who glanced up from his essay and shifted so his bony shoulder wasn't digging into her back. She seemed to realize this and sat back up so her back wasn't touching anything.

"I bet Peter would let me nickname him," Aurèlie said before anyone could ask about her back. "Right Peter?"

Peter went to nod but stopped as James shouted in frustration and tossed his quill on his paper.

"Peter, be quiet! Rose, no! No nicknames!"

"You have a nickname for me," defended Aurèlie.

"We already have nicknames," James roared.

Aurèlie smirked in triumph and James sucked in a breath as he realized he had stepped right into her trap.

"Get out of my common room, you infuriating woman!" James yelled, grabbing her around the waist and tossing her over his should as he stomped to the door.

Sirius yelped as his paper slipped from her fingers.

"Wait, she's proof-reading!" he cried, grabbing his paper from the floor and studying it for dirt.

"Proof-read somewhere else!" said James.

Aurèlie blinked at him upside down.

"Where else are we supposed to go?" wailed Sirius.

"Try the library," said Remus, closing his book and standing to follow his friends.

Sirius scoffed. "No one actually studies in the library."

Aurèlie's neon yellow hair shortened when she noticed it was dragging on the floor.

"We could go to the Room of Requirement," Aurèlie suggested.

James, Remus, and Peter looked at her blankly. Sirius cocked his head. "You talked about that the other day, too."

"The Room of Requirement?" she tried. "The room that a person can only enter when they have real need of it? Sometimes it's there, and sometimes it's not? When it appears it's always got everything the person needing it needs?"

Sirius bent down to meet her fuchsia eyes. "We don't know what you're talking about," he said slowly.

She gasped dramatically and rolled off of James's shoulder, hit her head against Sirius's, stumbled back into Peter, and finally grabbed Remus to steady herself.

"And you call yourself marauders." She brushed herself off and lifted her nose arrogantly. "Follow," she ordered, running off to the seventh floor and leaving the boys to follow the long, floating trail of zebra print hair.

"She's getting more creative with her hair," James commented with a grin.

"You don't really hate her, right?" Peter asked.

"No, of course not," he said, ruffling his hair. "You can't help but love her. Right, Pads?"

James waggled his eyebrows suggestively, resulting in Sirius punching him in the arm.

* * *

><p><strong>soooo, im sorry i havent been around in a while. i just couldnt figure out what i wanted to do with this chapter, and i finally decided to do this. it seems kind of filler-chapter-like but im trying to show how she really becomes friends with everyone, so theres less of a gap between last chapter and the next. happy holidays, everybody! the next chapter will be more christmas-y and posted soon, i promise!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

"You have to promise to owl me, okay?" said Lily for the umpteenth time, pushing a piece of green hair behind Aurèlie's ear. It was currently shaped and colored like a Christmas tree and James had "borrowed" several gold and scarlet baubles from the tree in the Great Hall to hang in her hair.

"Every day, yeah?" said Aurèlie.

"My parents banished me," said Sirius nonchalantly.

"That's because you're a blood-traitor," Aurèlie teased.

James chuckled and bumped her with his elbow. "And you're not?"

Aurèlie laughed. "Oh, yeah. I think I'm going to be disowned this time."

"Disowned?" Remus asked, approaching the train compartment. "Is Sirius bragging about himself again?"

Sirius placed his hand on his chest innocently. "Me? Bragging? Never!"

* * *

><p>"Aurèlie!" Lucius yelled.<p>

"Yes, dearest brother?" said Aurèlie in an innocent voice. She surveyed the platform before spotting his pale hair.

"We have to leave now," he said, his gaze running over her friends with barely masked distaste.

"I'm coming," Aurèlie sighed.

She quickly hugged her friends, spitting at Sirius when he hugged her. Lucius draped an arm around her shoulders to lead her away from the Gryffindors. Aurèlie turned her hair bright red and winked at her friends with golden eyes. Lucius recoiled in disgust before sighing and dragging her to the train.

* * *

><p>"I'm tired," moaned Aurèlie.<p>

Lucius glanced up from his book. "What do you want me to do about that?"

"Entertain me," said Aurèlie. Lucius gave her the look. "Fine, fine, don't entertain me. I see how it is. You don't love me any more," wailed Aurèlie.

Lucius pushed her feet off his lap and moved beside her, suffocating her in a hug. "Change your appearance or Father will kill you."

Aurèlie smirked. "He won't kill me. Maim or seriously injure, perhaps, but never kill."

Lucius sighed and untangled himself from the stubborn girl. "You're lucky you're in Slytherin. Unlike that Sirius Black fellow. I heard his parents Crucio him at least once a day and they've marked him out of the Black Family Will."

"Sirius Black hasn't been marked out of The Will, just out of the family tree. His father's already dead, he's the one that will inherit everything, not his brother," Aurèlie snapped, suddenly defensive. She sighed and shook out her hair, turning it the white-blond of all the other Malfoys. "And I'm only in Slytherin because I asked the Sorting Hat to put me there."

"Stop pouting," he said as the taxi pulled to a stop.

"Do you need help with the muggle money?" Aurèlie asked, curiosity overpowering moodiness once he pulled out his wallet.

"You're not taking Muggle Studies," Lucius said paying the cab driver.

Aurèlie huffed and got out of the car to glare at Malfoy Manor. "Honestly, I have no happy memories of this place," she said.

Lucius draped an arm around her shoulders and forced her forward. "Let's make some, shall we?"

"Doubt it."

* * *

><p>" I implore you to see reason–" Abraxus said.<p>

"See reason?" Aurèlie shrieked. "I am seeing reason! You're the crazy ones!"

"Aurèlie, please, let's not start this again," said Veronique.

"I didn't start it!" said Aurèlie. "I was trying to eat but you two had to go and bring up Voldemort–"

"Foolish girl, how dare you say his name!" Abraxus roared.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," said Aurèlie rebelliously.

"You will have respect for us and the Dark Lord!" said Abraxus loudly.

"Respect is something you earn, Father! Neither you nor Voldemort deserve my respect!"

"Don't you call me that," said Abraxus.

Aurèlie's indifferent mask slipped for a moment, showing her shock and hurt, before covering all emotions again. "Call you Father? Are you not?"

"You may be related to this family by blood but no longer are you my daughter," said Abraxus with an acute finality.

"Father–" Lucius started.

"That's brilliant news!" said Aurèlie. "I've been packed for days. Farewell, Mr Malfoy," a nod to Abraxus "Mrs Malfoy," a nod to Veronique. She hesitated at her brother."Mr Malfoy," a curt nod to a horrified looking Lucius.

Aurèlie rebelliously turned her hair Gryffindor scarlet and gold as she walked out of the dining room.

* * *

><p>"Padfoot, get back here with my present! You've got your own!" James yelled, running into the den only to trip over a pile of luggage.<p>

"Whose are these?" Sirius asked, plopping on the floor to inspect the bags. "There's no name."

"Doesn't need a name," James said, showing Sirius the button depicting an emerald colored rose.

Sirius grinned and threw open the door in time to see Aurèlie step out of the Knight Bus and thank the conductor. "Rose!" he yelled happily.

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming!" called James with a grin as she walked up to the house.

"I'm sorry," she said hoarsely. "I just – I don't know who else – Lily's on a cruise–"

Aurèlie reached the bottom step of the porch and James and Sirius were able to really look at her. Limp gray hair fell around her face and her eyes were red and swollen.

"Rose," said James, all at once feeling like he needed to hit whoever made her sad. "Don't even say that. You'll always be welcome here."

She only had the chance to smile up at him weakly for a moment before she was surrounded by the familiar smell of dog and a body crashed into her's. Sirius hugged her tightly and rubbed her back soothingly, the way she used to comfort him after his parents had beaten him when they were young.

All masks and walls disintegrated and she clung to him desperately as a flood of tears gushed down her cheeks. Tears that didn't manage to wet his hoodie dripped onto the walkway like the beginning of a rain and Aurèlie took a shuddering breath to attempt to calm herself.

"Shhhh," Sirius whispered, rocking her gently. "It's okay, baby girl. Everything's going to be okay."

* * *

><p>"You must be Aurèlie," the dark-haired woman said kindly.<p>

Aurèlie smiled politely and extended her hand. "Yes, thank you for letting me stay–"

Mrs Potter squished the girl in a hug and Aurèlie sent James and Sirius a breathless help-me look over her shoulder. They smirked at her.

"Charlie is still at work, he won't be back until late," Mrs Potter said to James and Sirius. She turned back to Aurèlie and smiled. "My goodness, Charlie and I have heard so much about you."

"Mom," said James.

"You wouldn't believe how much these two talk about you!" said Mrs Potter, her smile as large as Aurèlie's was growing to be. "They might as well be in love with you."

"Mom!" gasped James.

Mrs Potter turned around with an innocent expression. "Yes, darling?"

James scowled at his mother and pulled her into the kitchen before she could continue talking to Aurèlie.

The pink-haired girl turned to Sirius and frowned. "All right, Black?"

"What?" said Sirius, letting his hair flop over his eyes.

"You're really flushed," said Aurèlie concernedly. She brought her hand up as if to feel his forehead and gripped his chin to pull his face down to her's instead. She glared into his wide gray eyes.

"Spill," she ordered.

He twisted out of her grip and distracted her by squeezing her sides where she was ticklish. She yelped and swatted at his hands as he ran away to hid behind James.


	7. Chapter 7

"Malfoy!"

The pounding on the door was worse because at least she could magically disassemble the alarm clock and throw the bits on the other side of the room.

"Get up, you lazy ass!"

"Five more minutes," she moaned.

The pounding did not cease.

"I will bury your presents in the snow!"

Aurèlie pulled her pillow from her head, and threw the covers off of herself. She nearly knocked Sirius over as she tossed open the guest room door and looked at him curiously. "Presents?"

Sirius looked bashful. "Well, I'm sure it's not what you're used to at home, but-"

"Home?" she echoed.

His face softened. "I understand, you know."

She nodded silently.

"Pads and I got you presents though!" James chirped, tossing an arm around Sirius's shoulders. "Remus and Peter are going to be here later too. And Lily sent us stuff too!"

"Us?" Sirius asked.

"Me and Rose," James said.

Sirius gave a fake crestfallen face. "I guess she doesn't love me, then."

"Oh, I think she might have gotten you a textbook..." James trailed off thoughtfully.

Sirius's act became real and he sighed in disappointment. "Every damn year. It's worse than socks!"

Aurèlie laughed along and quickly grabbed one of her bags before they walked downstairs.

"What's that?" James asked.

"Well, I couldn't possibly intrude on your house without Christmas presents, now could I?" Aurèlie said in a matter-of-fact tone.

James and Sirius grinned at one another.

* * *

><p>"Oh, I love Lily," said Aurèlie, hugging the deep blue beanie with ear flaps to her chest before pulling it over her wild gold curls. "It matches my eyes. The real ones," she added.<p>

"Me too," James murmured absently, staring at the bright green hat that reminded him of Lily's eyes.

Sirius already wore bright yellow socks from Mrs. Potter, a purple sweater from the Weasley's, who were friends of the Potter's, and a furry black and scarlet checkered beanie hat from Lily.

James pulled out two small jewelry boxes and offered them to Aurèlie and Sirius. "They're a group purchase. One for you and one for you. You can pick which one you want, we don't care."

"We?" Aurèlie asked as Sirius took the boxes.

"Me, Remus, Peter, Lily, and Alice," said James.

Sirius handed her one of the boxes. "That one's your's. You're Slytherin with a little bit of Gryffindor hiding down in there somewhere."

He held up his own box. "This one's mine cause I'm Gryffindor but I'll never be able to get rid of the Slytherin in my blood."

Aurèlie, deciding she had no idea what the boy was rambling on about, opened her box and gasped. It was half of a ying-yang necklace, the main part a shiny emerald green; the small dot a bright ruby. She leaned over to look at Sirius's. It was exactly the same except the ruby and emerald colors were switched and his was held by a gold chain. She took it from him, balancing dangerously on a pointy hip bone, and clasped it behind his neck. She handed him her's and he clasped the silver chain expertly.

When the pair looked up, they saw a pleased Mr. Potter, and a teary Mrs. Potter. "Oh, James, that was so sweet," his mother sniffled.

James grinned smugly at his glaring friends. "You're welcome. I claim all the credit."

"I smell a certain red-haired female behind this," Sirius whispered to Aurèlie.

She grinned and crawled over to her bag and handed out her own presents. To James went a gold scarf that she had made herself ("I didn't know you could sew!" "You mean you didn't know I could knit." "...knit?").

Having been brought up with manners pounded into her head, Aurèlie had felt guilty that she was going to ask to stay at Mr. and Mrs. Potter's house if she didn't have anything to give them in return. She had stopped by a simple shop and bought a set of silver eating utensils. She had also scratched out the price with the Knight Bus Conductor's pen when she realized that modest people like the Potters might actually be offended at how many Galleons she had just spent.

She pulled out the last wrapped box and hesitated. "If you hate it," she started, "then just give it back." She handed the box to Sirius who narrowed his eyes suspiciously for only a moment before tearing into the present like a five year-old.

He pulled out a shirt. It was black with large silver letters across the chest reading "BLACK BIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT," accompanied by every Beatles album.

Sirius grinned at her and handed her a pretty green wrapped box. She opened it and pulled out a white t-shirt with cursive-like scrawl reading "tap on my window, knock on my door, I wanna make you feel beautiful" along with all the Maroon 5 albums.

She leaned over and hugged him.

James sent a smug grin to his mother who shook her head in amusement as she stood to answer the knocks on the door.

"Hello, Mrs. Potter," came Remus's smooth voice.

Aurèlie jumped up with ease and tackled the frail boy in a hug. He yelped in surprise and returned the hug as Peter slipped around them to greet James and Sirius.

"What are you doing here?" asked Remus as she released him.

The girl shrugged and plopped down on the floor, kneeing Sirius in the side accidentally. She turned to tend to him as she said, "I'm done with all that pureblood stuff. Permanently."

"Oh, good for you," said Peter.

Aurèlie grinned back and then crawled over to her pile of presents, almost disappearing under the large Christmas tree before triumphantly emerging with two presents and handing them to the boys. She noticed that Mr. and Mrs. Potter had left the room for the teenagers.

Peter unwrapped his hat and pulled it over his head. "You're really good at knitting," he complimented.

Aurèlie sent a pointed look at James, who pretended to be absorbed in the pair of socks he had just opened.

"What is it?" Sirius asked bluntly.

The three looked over at Sirius and Remus, who held up a small bottle questioningly.

"Oh!" Aurèlie said excitedly. "I made it myself!"

"But what is it?" Remus asked much more gently that Sirius had.

"It's mainly made of aconite," she explained. "It's actually highly toxic, but I managed to finally get the perfect amount for use as pain reliever and sedative."

"Are we supposed to understand that?" James whispered to Peter and Sirius, who both shrugged. The three watched as a crease appeared between Remus's eyebrows.

"Basically it's a complex potion that relieves, but does not cure, the symptoms of lycanthropy. It should allow one to hold on to their mental faculties after transformation. So you should still transform, but still act human. I figure if James, Sirius or Peter could transform fast enough, you could test it by having them be human and then just switch to their animal if it doesn't work," Aurèlie stopped and breathed.

James, Sirius, and Peter blinked blankly, but Remus stared at the seemingly-innocent blue haired girl with an obvious horror.

She raised an eyebrow curiously. "What? I'm not stupid," she giggled. "I knew you were the werewolf as soon as I woke up in the Infirmary and saw you. Although, I admit it was much harder without having Sev- my usual notebook to scribble stuff down in. I found a new one though, so it was okay."

James, Sirius, and Peter gasped as she finally said it in a simple enough context for them.

Remus shook his head in amusement and tossed her a silver wrapped present. She opened it and pulled out a book titled, 'The Art of Developing an Animagus,' with a hippogriff feather bookmark.

The green-haired girl grinned at him.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm back bitches! Jussst kidding, I don't think you're bitches. But, Holy Jesus, dude. It's been like...five months? Six? I am so sorry. But look, this chapter is really long! And it has a flashback! That explains things! Yay! Chapter eight: Commencing.

* * *

><p>"Hey Rose, you should come to Hogsmead with us. Rose? Aaauurrrèèèllliiieee," James sang her name, waving his hand in front of her face.<p>

The girl jerked her head back, startled out of her daydream. "What?"

"I said," James crossed his arms, "you should come to Hogsmead with us."

Aurèlie blinked at him. "Oh, yeah. Sure."

James turned to Sirius and rose his eyebrows. "That was easier than I had expected," he stage-whispered.

Aurèlie rolled her eyes. "Well who else do you suppose I should go with? The other morons I spent half of my winter break with?"

"Rose," Sirius laughed, "Lucius doesn't go to Hogwarts anymore."

Aurèlie tried to give him her imitation of McGonagall's stern look but her shaking shoulders and large smile gave her away and the group of three dissolved into laughter.

"Can I sit?" Lily asked, peeking into the train compartment.

"Oh my god," Sirius said, whirling and grabbing Jame's shirt. "I feel like I've seen this before. It's deja vu! Snivellus is going to walk in any second!"

Lily snorted as she slid into the empty space beside Aurèlie. "How you put up with them, I will never know," she told the Slytherin.

"We help tone down the idiocy a bit," Remus said, walking into the compartment with Peter right on his tail.

Aurèlie nodded in agreement. Sirius and James looked offended.

"Well, I see how you feel, Remus," Sirius sniffled. "I understand. You're breaking up with me. It wasn't me, it was you and all that."

Remus paused as he stowed his bag in the overhead compartment. "No, it was you."

Sirius let out a wail and burrowed into James's shoulder as the girls and Peter laughed. James patted Sirius's head and narrowed his eyes at Remus. "If my shirt gets tear stains on it, you're buying me a new one."

Sirius pushed himself away from James, shoving him into the window. "No one loves me," he cried.

"Oh, leave the poor, pitiful idiot alone," Aurèlie cut in. "He's very sensitive."

Sirius bristled as the train compartment erupted in laughter. "I am not sensitive," he muttered.

* * *

><p>"Honey, I'm home!" Aurèlie exclaimed as they walked up the front steps of the castle.<p>

"Oh, yes," Sirius drawled. "I'm sure all the teachers missed you terribly."

"I'm sure they did," Lily interrupted her retort. Aurèlie huffed as they walked up the shifting staircases to the Gryffindor Tower.

"Oh, Aurèlie-" Peter stopped and flinched as the Slytherin slammed into a wall. Aurèlie stumbled back into James, her hand coming up to her head.

"Ow," she mumbled belatedly.

"All right, Malfoy?" came the shriek-like call.

The blue haired girl held up her middle finger in the general direction of Bellatrix's voice. Aurèlie leaned on James as she gathered herself and stood straight, only to wobble to the side. Sirius grabbed her arm and set her upright.

"Are you all right, Malfoy?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, shaking her blue hair out. "I just need to revive my Supersensory Charm."

"What? Why?" Lily asked in alarm.

"Because you're half-blind," Remus said slowly, watching as Aurèlie patted herself for her wand. She pressed her lips together and then froze.

"Okay, guys," she said, straightening up. "Who took my wand?"

* * *

><p>"I don't like your dorm room," Aurèlie moaned, sitting gingerly on the edge of Remus's bed. "It looks like something exploded, and it smells like something died in here."<p>

"Well, my parents are at a wedding in America, so unless you want to apparate to my house and find your wand, you're staying where no Slytherins can take advantage of you," James said, sitting on Peter's bed opposite her.

"Lily and Alice's dorm mates don't exactly like Slytherins," Remus said before she could protest further. "And as your injury is technically their fault, James and Sirius are going to pay for it."

"What?" James and Sirius shrieked indignantly.

Aurèlie and Remus frowned at them. "I got it," Peter said, running into the room with a large bowl with strange patterns on it.

"Is that-"

"It's a Pensieve," Remus said. "And you two are going to see it again."

They turned to Aurèlie who frowned but allowed Remus to pull the silvery thought from her temple and drop the cloud-like memory into the basin. It swirled and they all took a breath before plunging their heads into the Pensieve.

* * *

><p><em>"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"<em>

_ More than a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him back off his feet. At the same moment, Aurèlie hooked her ankle around the back leg of Sirius's chair and yanked, toppling him over. Several people laughed as Sirius turned his furious gaze upon Aurèlie who smiled with innocent brown hair._

_ "Very well, everybody," said Professor Flitwick, who had been helped to his feet by several students in the front few desks. "You're free to go!" he said, ignoring Sirius splayed on the floor._

_ James quickly crossed out the L.E. he had been embellishing, jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam question paper into his bad, which he slung over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius (who was angrily lecturing a bored Aurèlie to never again knock his chair over) to join him._

_ Snape was a short way away, moving between the tables toward the doors to the entrance hall, still absorbed in his own examination paper. Round-shouldered yet angular, he walked in a twitchy manner that resembled a spider, his oily hair swinging around his face. Aurèlie slipped away from Sirius and ran after Snape, clinging to his arm and began talking, a happy smile on her face._

_ A gang of chattering girls separated Snape and Aurèlie from James and Sirius and by planting himself in the midst of this group._

_ "Did you like question ten, Moony?" Sirius asked as they emerged into the entrance hall._

_ "Loved it," Lupin said briskly. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question."_

_ "Do you think you managed to get all the signs?" said James in tones of mock concern._

_ "Think I did," said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out to the sunlit grounds. "One: He's sitting in my seat. Two: He's wearing my clothes. Three: His name's Remus Lupin..."_

_ Wormtail was the only one who didn't laugh._

_ "I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail," he said anxiously. "But I couldn't think what else–"_

_ "How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a month–"_

_ "Keep your voice down," implored Lupin, noticing the curious gaze of the newly-curly-orange-haired Aurèlie._

_ James and his three friends strode off down the lawn toward the lake, and Snape followed, still pouring over the paper and apparently no fixed idea where he was going as Aurèlie chattered._

_ "Well, I thought it was a piece of cake," he heard Sirius say. "I'll be surprised if I don't get an Outstanding, at least."_

_ "Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a struggling Golden Snitch._

_ "Where'd you get that?"_

_ "Nicked it," said James casually. He started playing with the Snitch allowing it to fly as much as a foot away before seizing it again; his reflexes were excellent. Wormtail watched him in awe._

_ They stopped in the shade of a beech tree at the edge of the lake and threw themselves into the grass._

_ Snape and Aurèlie settled on the grass in the shadow of a large tree._

_ The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of which the group of laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall was sitting with their socks and shoes off, cooling their feet in the water._

_ Lupin had pulled out a book and was read, Sirius stared around the students milling the grass with a haughty, bored look. James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom father and farther away, almost escaping but always grabbed at the last second. Wormtail was watching him with his mouth open._

_ "Put that away will you?" said Sirius finally, as James made a particularly fine catch and Wormtail gasped and applauded. "Before Wormtail wets himself from the excitement."_

_ Wormtail turned slightly pink but James grinned._

_ "If it bothers you," he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket. _

_ "I'm bored," said Sirius. "Wish it was a full moon."_

_ "You might," said Lupin darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration...If you're bored you could test me...Here." He held out his book._

_ Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."_

_ "This'll liven you up Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is..."_

_ Sirius's head turned. He had become very still, like a dog that sensed a rabbit. _

_ "Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus..."_

_ Snape was on his feet again, and was stowing his O.W.L. paper in his bag, chuckling at something Aurèlie had said. As they emerged from the shadows of the trees and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. Aurèlie's head snapped around, her mouth freezing in mid-word as her hair went long and black in surprise. She said something to Snape in a rush, tugging on his robe. Lupin and Wormtail remained sitting: Lupin was staring at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line appeared between his eyebrows. Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Aurèlie and Snape with a look of anticipation on his face._

_ "All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly._

_ "Expelliarmus!" called Sirius. Aurèlie dropped her books and drew her wand simultaneously._

_ "Protego!" said Aurèlie. After the spell she quickly slid her wand back in her robes and hurriedly gathered her books in hopes of leaving before the fight could proceed further._

_ Snape reacted quickly, but not as much as Aurèlie. Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway out when James shouted "Expelliarmus!"_

_ Snape's wand flew twelve feet in the air and landed with a thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter._

_"Impediamenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his fallen wand._

_ Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten up and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, other entertained._

_ Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up; James glancing over his shoulder at the girls on the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view._

_ "How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James._

_ "I was watching him, his greasy nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously._

_ Several people laughed and Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him._

_ "Funny you were watching him, Black," said Aurèlie mockingly, her hair now a crisp shade of blue. "Someone might think you had some sort of crush on Severus. How pathetic. They always did say that little boys with crushes tease cruelly because they don't know how to share their feelings."_

_ Many people laughed at that as well. Literal and figurative sparks flew between Aurèlie and Sirius, their relationship taunting and rude. _

_ Sirius growled but eyed the ash wand directed at him cautiously._

_ "You–wait," Snape panted, staring up at James with purest loathing. "You–wait."_

_ "Wait for what?" Sirius said coolly. "What are you going to do, Snivellus? Wipe your nose on us?"_

_ Aurèlie advanced on Sirius, putting away her wand, and grabbing his arm. "Stop," she commanded as Snape let out a long string of curse words and hexes but his wand being ten feet away, nothing happened._

_ "Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"_

_ Aurèlie brushed past Sirius towards James but Sirius grabbed her around the waist. "Stop! Stop it, you're going to kill him!" she screamed at James, beating against Sirius who had somehow taken her wand and held both his and her's out of her reach. Her hair was the same bright pink as the soap bubbles that streamed from Snape's mouth, the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him–_

_ "Leave him ALONE!"_

_ James and Sirius looked around. James's free hand jumped to his hair again and Aurèlie sighed in relief, pausing in her battle against Sirius's grasp._

_ "All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature._

_ "Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of dislike. "What's he done to you?"_

_ "Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact he exists, if you know what I mean..."_

_ Many of the surrounding watchers laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Lupin, still apparently intent on his book didn't, and neither did Lily or Aurèlie._

_ "You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."_

_ "I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go out with me, and I'll never lay a hand on old Snivelly again."_

_ Behind him, the Impediement Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch toward his fallen wand, spitting out soap suds as he crawled._

_ "I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily._

_ "Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, Aurèlie laughing loudly. She stopped suddenly as she turned back to Snape and she roughly elbowed Sirius in the nose. There was a crunch of broken bone and Sirius let go._

_ Aurèlie threw herself in front of James as Snape directed his wand at the distracted boy. There was a flash of light and a gash appeared across Aurèlie's right eye, splattering her robes with blood. She fell limply to her knees in the grass, silent, pain forcing her to revert back to her natural features._

_ James whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down, his robes falling to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants._

_ Many people in the crowd laughed and cheered. Sirius, James and Wormtail roared with laughter._

_ Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"_

_ "Certainly," said James and jerked his wand upward. Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes, he quickly got to his feet, his wand up, but Sirius said, "Locomotor mortis!" and Snape kneeled over again at once, rigid as a board._

_ "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily._

_ "Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly._

_ "Take the curse off him, then!"_

_ James sighed deeply, turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse. "There you go," he said as Snape struggled to his feet again. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus–"_

_ "I don't need help from filthy little mudbloods like her!"_

_ Lily blinked. "Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother you in the future. I'd wash your pants if I was you, Snivellus."_

_ "Apologize to Evans!" James roared._

_ "Don't make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're just as bad as he is..."_

_ "What?" yelped James. "I'd never call you a...you-know-what."_

_ "Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone just because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with your fat head on it."_

_ She turned on her heel and hurried away._

_ "Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!"_

_ But she didn't look back._

_ "What is it with her?" said James, trying and failing to look like this was a question of no importance to him._

_ "Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius._

_ "Right," said James who looked furious now._

_ There was a flash of bright light and Snape was once again hanging upside down in the air._

_ "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"_

_ A hand grabbed his robes and tugged. James looked down, seemingly forgotten about the girl on the ground. James crouched, allowing Snape to drop, and bent over Aurèlie. James's breathing sped up and he began hyperventilating. "Sirius! Remus, I need help!"_

_ The boys all gathered over her. She was holding the torn skin together with fingers unable to staunch the flow of blood. Remus gasped at the gaping hole, white bone of the eye socket peeking through, her eyelid sliced in half. Her midnight blue eye was becoming pale around the thinly sliced center and blood covered her face and hands._

* * *

><p>Aurèlie gasped out of the Pensieve, shivering, her hand coming up to touch the scar across her eye. "Hello, nightmares, nice to see you while the sun's still up," she muttered.<p>

Three pairs of wide eyes stared at her and she pulled back into Remus.

"Aurèlie, I am so sor-"

She put her hand over Sirius's mouth. "Don't you think I know that?"

* * *

><p>AN: I'll give you a cookie if you know where I stole that flashback bit from :D Please press the blue button, every review counts.


	9. Chapter 9

"Oh, darling!" Aurèlie cried, "How I've missed thee!"

"I know, I know," Sirius said, walking up behind her.

Aurèlie turned and scoffed at the black-haired boy. "I wasn't talking to you."

"She was obviously talking to me," James said from the other side of her curly hair.

"No. I was talking to my baby." She held up her wand with a loving look in her dark blue eyes. "J'adore," she crooned.

Sirius regarded her carefully. "When Slytherins start talking French to inanimate objects-"

"-it's time to go to Muggle Studies," Remus interrupted, steering Sirius away from the scowling blond.

Sirius and Remus heard Aurèlie mutter the Supersensory Charm before linking her arm with James and walking down the hall to Ancient Runes.

* * *

><p>"Amortentia," Professor Slughorn announced. "Who knows what that is?"<p>

Aurèlie's hand shot up and Slughorn actually stepped backwards in surprise.

"Miss Malfoy?"

"Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in the world. It has a different aroma for each person that smells it, reminding each person of the things that attract them the most, even if the person themselves don't acknowledge their fondness for the object of their affection. It has a-"

"Thank you, Miss Malfoy," Professor Slughorn interrupted. "But I would appreciate it if you would allow me some things to teach this class."

Aurèlie blushed and looked down.

"It doesn't create real love, because that's rather impossible, however it will cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It's one of the most dangerous potions we'll brew this year. When you are finished it should have a mother-of-pearl sheen and steam will rise in spirals. If it does not," he looked at James, "then you did it wrong. Pair up, and set to work."

James grabbed Aurèlie's arm, surprising her so much she nearly fell off her stool.

"What's wrong?" she asked, shock and concern showing through her voice.

"Please be my partner," he asked.

If Aurèlie's face was capable of anymore surprise, that would be why.

"What?" Sirius complained. "No fair, I wanted her."

"Tough luck," James retorted. "I'm going to fail potions if I don't get this right."

Sirius made a dissatisfied noise and sulked off to sit next to Remus, kicking Peter off the seat. Remus frowned at the boy.

They gathered the supplies and began working. By the time the end of class neared, Aurèlie was finished and sighed heavily.

"It's so hard to work with you," she moaned.

"Sorry about that," James apologized. "I'm horrible at potions."

"No worse than Black," Aurèlie replied. "It's just that you actually try to help."

James smiled at her. "Thanks for working with me."

She grinned back lazily. "No problem."

"Okay, class. You should be done." Slughorn stood and began inspecting the cauldrons. He stopped at Lily's and Severus's, admiring the correctness in each of their cauldrons but he stood in front of Aurèlie and James for at least ten minutes, staring at the potion.

"Miss Malfoy, are you sure that you didn't do all the work?" Professor Slughorn asked for the sixth time.

"He helped me, Professor. I swear," Aurèlie replied.

Professor Slughorn just nodded mutely and walked away to look at Alice and Frank's.

"What do you smell, James?" Aurèlie asked.

"Strawberries," he replied without even nearing the potion. He saw her confused look and explained, "That's what Lily's hair smells like."

Aurèlie's mouth opened in a small 'O' and she nodded. "That's sweet. You should tell her that."

James blushed a shade almost as red as Lily's hair. "What? No."

"That's the kind of sweet stuff girls like to hear, Pot – James," she corrected herself.

"Thanks, Rose."

She nodded. "Anytime."

"What do you smell?"

Aurèlie, who had been pulling her purple hair out of the messy bun she put up for brewing, twisted it back up and leaned over the cauldron. She took a breath.

"Broomsticks...and...fresh parchment...and...spearmint leaves...and..." she lifted her head. "I don't know what the last thing is. It's kind of earthy...like an animal." She shrugged.

He nodded. "Broomsticks?"

"Yeah. Black and I used to mess around on our parents brooms when we were younger. Then after school started, sometimes Lucius would let me take his but..." she motioned to her pearl-colored bangs. "I mean, I'm blind in my right eye. I can't even walk in a straight line. I root for you though, at the games."

That made James smile. Sirius and Remus came over before they could continue their conversation.

"I'm proud of you James," Remus said. "First potion to ever turn out correctly."

"Shut up, Moony," said James.

Remus sent James a look but Aurèlie was too busy arguing with Sirius pay attention to them. Aurèlie turned abruptly and smiled at Remus. "What do you smell?"

Remus smiled weakly. "Books and soap."

Aurèlie grinned but before she could question more, Sirius was inhaling the spiraling steam. "Smells like...dogs..." Aurèlie raised an eyebrow. "...and...James's house...and...huh." He lifted his head.

He and James shared a look, which ended with James laughing and Sirius scowling.

* * *

><p>"I'm tired," James complained.<p>

"I'd like to think I'm more tired than you are," Aurèlie objected. "It's hard work not letting you screw up my potions."

They all laughed.

"I'm serious," James continued. "Why is Defense Against the Dark Arts so far away?"

"Because we were in the dungeons, James," Remus told him.

"I hate the dungeons," said Aurèlie. "Did you know? The Slytherin Common Room is partially under the lake. It makes everything green, which I admit is quite fascinating but its cold and horrible company. I visited the Ravenclaw Common Room once. It was lovely."

"Do I want to know why you were in the Ravenclaw Common Room?" James asked with a grin.

"Nope." Aurèlie grinned back. "Okay," she said in her Malfoy drawl. "Who wants to carry me?"

"I'll carry you," Sirius said.

They all looked at him with surprise.

"What?" James asked.

"I'll carry Rose," Sirius repeated.

Aurèlie blinked at him. "Why-"

"Last chance," he said.

Aurèlie moved behind him and draped her bag over his shoulder. He grasped her thighs and pulled her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

"You smell good," she mumbled into his hair.

"I know I do," he replied.

"Whoa," James said, stopping as if he ran into something. "Padfoot, your ego is blocking the hallway!"

"Mr Black, may I ask why you are carrying Miss Malfoy on your back?" a soft voice said behind them.

They turned to face Dumbledore.

"No particular reason, sir."

Sirius dropped his hands but Aurèlie stubbornly tightened her legs and arms, forcing him to hold her up again to avoid suffocation.

"Hello, Professor," Aurèlie said, pleasantly. Her hair was the same light lavender as the professor's robes.

Dumbledore chuckled and walked towards them. "Shall we talk as we walk so you're not late to class?"

The boys nodded, turning back and walking.

"How are your potions grades, Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked.

"Better, I think. Aurèlie partnered with me today," James replied, looking completely at ease talking to the Headmaster. "She's the best in our class."

"No," said Aurèlie. "Lily or Snape is the best. I'm all right though."

Dumbledore smiled. "My girl, sometimes I wonder if we Sort too early."

Aurèlie blinked. "Uh, thank you?"

"How are you feeling, Mr Lupin?" Dumbledore continued.

"A bit weak, sir. I'm fine for now." Remus didn't meet Dumbledore's sparkling eyes.

"That's wonderful. What do you suppose Professor Merrythought is teaching today, Mr Pettigrew?"

They reached the door.

"Well, I suppose you'll find out. Good day," Dumbledore said, drifting away.

Aurèlie dropped to her feet and Sirius held out her bag. She ignored his outstretched hand and continued into the classroom. Sirius growled and followed the girl's sea green waves into the classroom.

"Do you see that, Mr Wormtail?" James said.

"I think I do, Mr Prongs," Peter replied.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Sirius is going to hear you and not be happy."

They followed the pair into the classroom where they sat bickering about something. Aurèlie had unconsciously dropped her morphed features, leaving her with her wild gold curls, midnight eyes and tan skin. Sirius kept pushing his black hair back in frustration, his grey eyes filled with annoyance.

"He can't hear me over all the blood flowing to his head," James retorted.

"Which one?" Peter whispered as they sat behind the pair. James snickered.

"Quite an odd couple," Remus mused. "Not only their contrasting appearances but their similar personalities. Years ago I would have bet anything that you'd never find another person like him. But here she is."

"You know what she said she smelled in the potion?" James continued. "Something earthy and like an animal. I think she smelled him. That mutt. And I'll bet anything he smelled her caramel perfume."

"James!" Aurèlie said loudly, spinning in her seat. James recoiled back in surprise, fearing that she had heard him like Remus said they would but she didn't seem to have overheard. "Please tell Black that he's an insufferable man whore."

Remus choked on a laugh when she said that.

Sirius ignored him. "And please tell her that she's an arrogant princess!"

The boys behind the arguing pair fell to the table in fits of giggles at the truth of both statements but couldn't manage a response before Professor Merrythought swept into the room.

"Okay, students," she announced. "Today, we will be performing a very difficult spell but I'm sure you all can manage."

"A Patronus is a kind of positive force, and for the wizard who can conjure one, it works something like a shield, with a Dementor feeding on it, rather than him. In order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory," Merrythought lectured as students tried to create the silver wisps.

"Expecto Patronum!" said James. There was a flash of light and a silvery horse appeared.

No, not a horse, Aurèlie thought, A stag.

James looked overjoyed and Remus was the next to succeed with a werewolf that looked similar to the one Aurèlie had found in the forest. She found herself remembering that tonight was the full moon. She was pleased, that would be a perfect end to the day. She closed her eyes and concentrated on flying through the skies as her animagus.

"Expecto Patronum," she whispered. Nothing happened. She thought about her potions classes, the pleasure every time a potion turned out right.

"Expecto-" Her train of thought was interrupted by a, "Expecto Patronum!" from Lily which turned into a beautiful doe. Aurèlie caught herself as she began remembering Severus once saying it made him feel kind of girly having a doe as a Patronus but she knew it was because he loved Lily.

Aurèlie banished him from her mind. She pictured Christmas day at the Potter's. She remembered the warmth that radiated in the room and not just because of the fireplace. She pictured pulling half of a yin-yang necklace from a box and Sirius receiving the other, his gold with a ruby circle and her's silver with an emerald.  
>"Expecto Patronum!" she yelled at the same time another voice mirrored hers. Silver erupted from her wand and she opened her eyes to see a dog wagging it's tail in front of her. She frowned at it. The Patronuses vanished when Professor Merrythought called, "Class dismissed!"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, I think Professor Merrythought was the DADA professor before Quirrel, so I'm just going to assume that she was the teacher during the Marauder Era too. If you know who the teachers were or anything, review or PM me or something so I can correct myself. **

**Press the blue button of love!**

**\/**


	10. Chapter 10

"Why was it a horse-bird-thing," Sirius muttered.

"It was a dog," complained Aurèlie.

"It was a hippogriff, Sirius," James commented. "It's a wolf, Aurèlie. The Grim."

"Why do you have my patronus?" Sirius and Aurèlie shouted at each other.

"Your patronus is a hippogriff, Aurèlie?" Remus asked.

She smiled. "Yes, but you already know that don't you?"

Remus just smiled. "One's patronus does not always match one's animagus."

Sirius scowled at both of them. "Well obviously not, as my animagus is not a hippo."

Aurèlie tripped him with a flick of her wand and shrieked as he grabbed her waist, bringing her down with him. She scrambled up, sticking her tongue out before sprinting down the corridor to the Great Hall.

"Don't hurt yourself!" James called as Sirius jumped up and ran after her cackling.

Sirius yelled back a few rather inappropriate words and Remus sighed.

"Some day, they're going to realize it-" the werewolf started.

"And that day we'll all be there to say I told you so," came the familiar voice of one Miss Lily Evans.

"Even my Lilypad knows!" James said, gesturing to the now empty corridor the pair had ran down.

"Don't call me that, Potter," Lily huffed, tightening her arms around her books and looking back at Alice unsurely.

"No need to be mean, Evans," James said.

"Actually, I – well – I, uh," the redhead glanced back at Alice again who stepped forward and blurted, "She was wondering why you haven't begged her to Hogsmeade yet."

James and Lily both flushed the same color as their Gryffindor ties.

Remus smiled coyly and tugged on Peter's sleeve. "Alice, would you like to not be late to dinner?"

The brunette blinked. "Oh, uh, right. Let's...go."

The trio walked away, leaving the blushing pair in silence. When they entered the Great Hall, they found even more strange silence as they walked up to their friends. Both Sirius and Aurèlie had their heads down on the Gryffindor table.

"We're grounded," Sirius said before they could ask.

"It was his fault," Aurèlie moaned.

"It was not my fault," Sirius said, lifting his head to growl at Aurèlie who picked up her own head and hissed at him in a rather cat-like way.

"Children, settle," Remus played peace-keeper, sitting next to Sirius and leaning closer when he saw the very obvious black eye. He turned to Aurèlie and was relieved to see no matching injury.

"I didn't do that," Aurèlie said, noticing Remus's inspection.

Sirius scoffed, "You bloody well did."

Aurèlie frowned. "Well...not with my fist."

"No," Sirius spat. "She just pushed me into a wall."

"I did not push you into a wall," Aurèlie defended.

"You did too push me into a wall," Sirius yelled.

Remus clamped a hand over his fellow marauder's mouth as other people began to pay attention. Sirius seethed and Aurèlie grimaced.

"Look, I already said I was sorry-" the silver-haired girl said.

"You didn't accept the terms of me accepting your apology," Sirius huffed, turning away from them.

Alice sighed in exasperation. "Will someone please just tell me what happened?"

Aurèlie opened her mouth but Sirius beat her to it. "So you know how you're going to Hogsmeade with Frank and Remus is being a party pooper and staying to study with Peter?" Sirius asked.

"Yes..." Alice said slowly.

"And if James actually grows some balls and asks Evans and she says yes this time like she wants to-"

"How did you know that?" Aurèlie asked.

Sirius rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored her question. "Well that means I'm going to be all alone and I'm sure as hell not studying with these bozos on Valentine's Day."

Alice's growing smile did not make Aurèlie feel better.

"So I told her, that if she would go to Hogsmeade with me, then I would happily accept her apology," Sirius concluded. "And she said no!"

Peter was giggling nervously as Aurèlie and Sirius scowled at each other. Alice let out a small laugh before jumping out of her seat and running to find Frank. Lily and James were no where to be seen. Remus sighed at his hopeless friends.

"Sirius, how many weeks are there until Hogsmeade?" he asked.

The black-haired boy blinked. "Uh, three?"

"Apologize to Aurèlie," Remus said.

"What?" Sirius shouted. "Dude, you're supposed to be on my side-"

Remus clamped a hand over Sirius's mouth. "Apologize and I'll tell you my idea."

Sirius recognized the shimmer in his friend's gold eyes but still pouted as he turned to the smug Slytherin and mumbled his acceptance of her apology.

"Now," Remus said. "I propose a bet."

Aurèlie and Sirius looked at him curiously.

"If Sirius wins, Aurèlie you have to go to Hogsmeade with him. If Aurèlie wins..." Remus trailed off. "I don't know, you two can figure it out later. Now go find something to bet on and stop pouting Sirius Black, you look like a child."

"Aurèlie!" Lily's shriek startled the greenette and the Slytherin flinched away from the redhead as she bounced into the Great Hall. "I need to borrow you. You can argue with Sirius later," she said as she dragged the helpless Slytherin out into the Hall.

Sirius turned to Remus in confusion. "Did she just call me Sirius?"

Remus nodded and pointed behind him. "And there's why."

James stumbled into the Great Hall looking rather dazed. "I just – I..." He sat down heavily. "I think I just asked Lily to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day."

Peter shrugged. "You do that every year."

"No, I..." James looked at his friends in bewilderment. "She said yes."

* * *

><p>AN: So EverydayMagic17 informed me that Professor Merrythought was actually during Riddle's era...so, let's pretend that's her daughter or something and I'll pick out a new DADA teacher next year. Yay!

Don't worry guys. Sirius and Aurèlie are almost together. Give me two chapters and a bet and you can be happy.

Yay for JamesxLily! And for weekly (ish) updates!

PPPLLLLEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE REVIEW. It makes me pathetically happy. Tell me what you think, give me suggestions. On my writing itself or on my plot or on my characters or on what color you want Aurèlie's hair to be...just review. Pretty please?


	11. Chapter 11

**8:36**

"Wake up, woman!" Sirius said, pulling his pillow from under her head and smacking her in the face. She mumbled a few choice words and buried herself into his bed. Sirius growled.

"Let her sleep," James moaned from his own bed. "It's better for my health if you shut your face."

"She comes in here and steals my bed and you're on her side?" Sirius asked incredulously.

Aurèlie let out a noise that sounded like laughter as she pulled his blankets off the floor where he had slept the night before and tugged them over her head.

"'s Saturday," Aurèlie moaned. "No classes. Sleep in."

"We have a bet for me to win. And Hogsmeade is in one day," Sirius said, snatching one of James's many pillows and wacking the lump blankets on his bed. "So. Wake. Up."

The blankets heaved a sigh and the Slytherin sat up slowly, her hand pressed to her eyes. "Fine. Whaddayu wanna bet on?"

The pink-haired girl's head bobbed slowly and her eyes stayed shut as she waited for Sirius's answer. Stormy grey eyes narrowed as he tried to determine if she was awake.

"Le's," Aurèlie yawned, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing shakily. "Le's 'ave a treasure 'unt."

James nearly jumped out of bed as she paused and touched his foot lightly to stop swaying. "Whassamadder?" he croaked sleepily. "Whass goin' on?"

Sirius sighed.

**9:54**

"So," Aurèlie said, "If you can find me before midnight, you win and I'll go to Hogsmeade with you."

"And if he doesn't find you?" Remus asked.

"I will find her," Sirius said.

"If he doesn't find me..." Aurèlie poked her eggs with a fork. "He has to ask Snape to Hogsmeade."

Sirius blanched and James stopped nodding off long enough to laugh at him.

"Fine," Sirius said, glaring at her. "I'll find you. But you can only hide in the castle. Not on the grounds. And not in any of the house's common rooms or dorms."

"Fine," Aurèlie said, glaring back. "I'll even let you use your friends; it's not like they'll be of much help."

Sirius turned to his friends. Remus was buried in a book, James was sleeping in his toast, and Peter...Sirius wasn't even sure what Peter was doing.

"Oh," Remus looked up from his book as Aurèlie stood to go hide. "Give me your maps."

James startled from his nap, batting the piece of toast from his cheek. "What?"

Aurèlie frowned but pulled her map out of her hoodie's pocket and handed it to the boy. Sirius's face dropped as he handed the werewolf the Marauder's Map.

"I won't help either of you anyway," Remus said, tucking the maps into his bag. "I have a paper for Runes."

"We have a paper in Runes?" Aurèlie mused as she walked out of the Great Hall."

As soon as she was out of sight, Sirius turned to Remus.

"No," the werewolf said before his friend could ask for the maps. Sirius pouted and sat back to pull an egg out of James's hair.

**6:13**

"This is impossible," Sirius moaned.

He plopped down on the stairs as they moved again and ignored Peter's squeak as he tried to sit on a vanishing step. James bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Come on, mate. Me getting a date with Lily was supposed to be impossible too," James said with a grin. "If anyone can get a date with the Emerald Rose of Hogwarts, it's you."

Sirius glanced up. "Yeah?"

James shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Sirius heaved himself up and grinned back at James. "All right."

**11:21**

"Hypothetically speaking, were would you hide if you were a Slytherin? Or didn't want to go on a date with someone? This is all hypothetical, of course." Sirius stared at the redhead as she glanced up from her textbook.

"You're looking for Aurèlie?" Lily asked.

Sirius stared at her.

Lily laughed. "Don't worry, I'll help you."

The black-haired boy sighed in relief and collapsed on the couch beside her. "Thank god. Someone with a brain."

"I take offense to that," James called from where he was folding pages of his Potions textbook into paper airplanes and making them dive bomb Peter who countered with his own Transfiguration textbook paper airplanes.

Lily smiled at Sirius gently. "If I were a Slytherin, I would hide somewhere no one else knew about...and if I didn't want to go on a date with someone, I would hide the last place that someone would look. So combine that. Where would you not think to find her that very few people know about?"

"If no one knows about it, how am I supposed to think to find her there?" Sirius frowned.

Lily rose an eyebrow. "Well okay, think of it this way. What did you have before that you don't have now?"

Remus scolded James on paper airplane-ing the next Monday's assignment. Sirius's eyes widened. "The Map."

"Remus didn't take your Map away until after right?" Lily asked. "So if Aurèlie knew you'd be able to just look and find her easily..._I_ would hide somewhere you couldn't see me."

"But all the rooms are on the Map-" Sirius stopped at stared at Lily. "Except one."

Sirius jumped up, turned and squished Lily in a hug, and then ran out of the Common Room.

"Wait, Sirius!" James called, noticing his friend disappearing from the Portrait Hole.

Lily waved him down. "It's fine, he found her."

James looked at Lily adoringly. "Thanks for helping him."

"I'm helping her too," Lily said with a smile that made James melt before she turned back to her textbook.

"You're smitten," Remus said with a grin that made James flush and direct a paper airplane at him.

**11:48**

"Come on," Sirius said, glaring at the wall. "Open."

"You really don't know how to use it?" came a familiar voice.

Sirius scowled. "Well I don't run away to hide from scary things."

His brother scoffed. "What are you hiding from then?"

"I'm not hiding," Sirius snapped.

Regulus rolled his eyes. "Walk in front of it three times thinking about what you need. Merry belated Christmas present."

Sirius glared until the fourth-year disappeared and stared at the wall. "This better work."

**11:52**

"Cutting it rather close don't you think?" The blonde glanced up from her Runes essay.

Sirius sat down next to her on the floor. "That's the new style."

"I thought you would have given up after five," Aurèlie said, gathering her parchment.

"You were worth the extra effort," he said, ignoring how pathetically sappy he sounded.

Aurèlie looked at him with an amused brow raised. "Well, I'm happy to hear that."

"You should be proud of me. I'll tell you all about my adventures on our date," Sirius said smugly.

The cerulean-haired girl smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I can't wait."

Sirius watched in a sort of stunned silence as she stood and walked back to the door. She paused as she rested her hand on the brass doorknob and glanced back at him.

"If I promise you can sleep in your own bed tonight, if you don't make me walk back to your dorm all by myself," she said with a half-smile.

Sirius stood, smirking at her. "I think maybe we should wait until after the date to sleep together."

Aurèlie rolled her eyes. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I'll just kick James out or something."

Sirius laughed and opened the door, unconsciously taking her books from her. Aurèlie, who was very conscious of the exchange, would later deny she turned a shade of red darker than Lily's hair.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I was thinking about having him not find her...but I'm not quite that evil. And Regulus! I, personally, rather like Regulus so I'm trying to figure out how to involve him in this story. I think that would be interesting. **

**Hogsmeade on Valentines Day next chapter! Do you guys want to see some of James and Lily too? Know that they won't be the main pairing but I can add them in there if you want it. I think they're cute. And Andrew Garfield in the Amazing Spiderman? I think James is Spiderman, guys!  
><strong>

**Reviews make me feel good about myself :3**


	12. Chapter 12

The three boys watched the three girls chattering amicably about something as they sat on the carpet by the fireplace.

"I think she's finally gone mad," James commented.

Sirius frowned at his best friend. "It's not that strange to want to go on a date with me."

James didn't turn from the girls. "She was just so against it yesterday. But I guess today's a new day and all that."

"Maybe she was just playing hard to get," Peter suggested.

"Maybe she was just pretending she wanted to go on a date with you," Remus said from behind his textbook.

The three boys turned to look at their friend who didn't even bother to act like he wanted to gawk at the three girls across the common room. Sirius snatched the textbook and Remus looked up.

"Just a thought," the amber-eyed boy said with a hint of a smile.

Sirius's frown deepened. "Do you really think she doesn't want to go with me?"

James tossed an arm around his shoulders. "Mate, you're Sirius Black. Who wouldn't want to go on a date with you?"

Remus raised his hand from behind another textbook he had seemingly conjured up. Sirius wasn't sure if that was a charm he hadn't paid attention to or if it was just Remus. James pointed at Remus.

"Not helping."

"Right, right." Remus lowered his hand and peered over his book. "Stop pouting Sirius. I'm sure Aurèlie can't wait for your date."

"It's true," came the redhead's voice as she pulled out a chair and sat beside James.

"Lily!" James exclaimed, scolding himself for not paying enough attention to notice the girls had walked over.

"James!" Lily said, mimicking his look of surprise.

Alice rolled her eyes as the boys looked around for the missing girl. "Aurèlie went up already."

Sirius instantly turned back to face the others.

"Are you blushing?" Remus asked, barely suppressed laughter in his voice.

"No," Sirius denied too quickly.

* * *

><p>"G'way," Sirius moaned, waving away the prodding hands.<p>

"No," James snapped. "Get your ass up. Rose, Remus, and Peter are already downstairs and I don't have anyone to complain to about having to sleep on the floor."

"Don'giveafug," Sirius yawned into his pillow.

"Fine." James walked to the door. "You tell Aurèlie why you stood her up." He opened the door and shut it, as if he had left.

Sirius's eyes popped open and he shot up out of his bed, only to trip over the clothes he had left on the floor. James snorted and pointed towards Peter's bed. "Remus took the liberty of picking out your clothes."

Sirius grabbed them as he blindly stumbled into the bathroom. James followed and leaned against the doorway.

"I think it was a mix of feeling bad about teasing you last night and not wanting you to look like a harlot on your date with our friend," James continued.

Sirius held his middle finger through the shower curtain and James laughed.

* * *

><p>"Milady," James said, slipping his arm through Lily's as he came up behind her. "Ready to go?"<p>

Lily glanced at Aurèlie unsurely as the girl changed her hair color at a rather frightening speed.

"Go on," the bored Slytherin said.

"Don't worry," James said, leading Lily away. "He said he'd be right down."

"So he's conscious at least?" Aurèlie muttered, glancing at her watch.

"That he is."

Aurèlie turned to the black-haired boy.

"You're late," she said.

Sirius smiled bashfully and let his hair fall forward as he dropped his head in acknowledgement.

"Well come on then." She flipped her green hair over her shoulder. "Take me on a date."

"Did you go to the Great Hall this morning?" Aurèlie asked with a small smile.

Sirius shook his head as they walked to Hogsmeade.

"You should have." Aurèlie grinned. "James made the ceiling blow heart-shaped bubbles at the staff table and Dumbledore liked it so much that he kept it going. It looked like Filch wanted to cry."

Sirius laughed. "Well it's better than last year when you made gold heart balloons follow Filch around all day."

"Next year, we'll have to all join forces," Aurèlie said between giggles.

"Next Valentine's Day," Sirius said. "We'll transfigure McGonagall's robes pink. She'll have to pass us!"

He smiled as the Slytherin cracked up, her cheeks pink from the snow and the laughter. Sirius thought she was rather beautiful.

Sirius led Aurèlie up into a tea shop. It was small and everything was decorated with frills and bows. Aurèlie frowned as Sirius sat her at a table covered in pink heart-shaped confetti.

"What can I get you, dears?" said a plump woman. "Oh, Sirius! Nice seeing you out on Valentine's Day."

Sirius gave a smile that seemed rather forced as Aurèlie inspected the pink-tinted sugar cubes. "Just two coffees, Madam."

"Of course, of course," the woman said, scribbling the order down on a pink notepad and squeezing through the tables towards the kitchen.

Aurèlie looked up as the woman walked away. "Do you bring all your dates here?"

"Girls usually..." Sirius trailed off, looking as uncomfortable with the question as Aurèlie was in the tea shop. "Like this sort of thing?"

Aurèlie smirked. "And what makes you thing I'm anything like those girls?"

Sirius was digging in his pockets for change as Aurèlie placed a Galleon on the table and pulled him out of his fluffy pink seat.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks."

"But..." Sirius said, looking at her Galleon despairingly.

"You can pay for my butterbeer," Aurèlie said with a grin that he couldn't help but match.

* * *

><p>"I think you've had enough to drink, Prongsy," Sirius said, taking the mug of firewhiskey from James and downing it himself.<p>

James looked at his empty hand sadly and Lily tugged on his arm. "Come on, James. Walk me back to the castle."

"I'll make sure he doesn't pass out," Lily said to Aurèlie and Sirius as she pulled James out of the tavern.

Aurèlie turned to Sirius who was staring into his mug like Professor Noreen stared at her crystal ball. She waved her hand in front of his eyes and smiled softly as he looked up.

"Why did Madam Puddifoot say that she was surprised to see you?"

Sirius chuckled and propped his head on his hand. "Usually on Valentine's Day...I don't even leave the dorm."

Aurèlie watched him with wide eyes so he continued.

"Usually I hide from all the girls I've dated...and not dated...and I drown in all the chocolates and love letters my mates are pressured into bringing to me. I'm always alone," Sirius gulped his firewhiskey.

Aurèlie was silent for a few moments. "Well then I won't get you chocolates or love letters next Valentine's Day."

Sirius looked at her curiously. "Wha-"

"And you know," She pushed the blond curls out of her face as she leaned across the table and placed her hand over his, "you're not alone this year. So stop pouting."

* * *

><p>"Come on, Sirius," Aurèlie said, tugging on his arm and reaching for the door handle in vain. "We actually do have class tomorrow."<p>

His hand slipped from her shoulder to her hand and he pulled her back and close to him. Sirius gave a small smile. "I had fun with you tonight, really."

"I had fun too, but we're going into the same dorm," Aurèlie said, attempting to pull her hand from his.

"But we might be interrupted." Sirius grinned, grey eyes glancing downwards to Aurèlie's lips and Aurèlie's purple eyes doing the same to Sirius. Aurèlie felt his cheeks flush red as Sirius's tongue darted out to lick across his lower lip.

She put her hands on Sirius's chest. "I don't kiss on first dates," she forced out and wanted to kick herself for even blurting that out because nice job bringing that up Aurèlie, now he's thinking about it.

Sirius laughed, his thumb tracing patterns on the back of her hand. "I wasn't thinking about kissing you, Rose. Besides, you probably taste like butterbeer and that's not very sexy," Sirius grinned, tapped her lips with his free hand.

"And you probably smell like firewhiskey." Aurèlie wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Sirius smiled, leaning down and letting his lips brush against Aurèlie's cheek in a soft kiss. Aurèlie's chest felt pained as Sirius pulled away with a smile.

"Did I smell like firewhiskey?"

"No..." Aurèlie muttered, placing a hand on the spot where Sirius kissed her and the Gryffindor winked.

"I'll sleep on Jamie. You can have my bed," Sirius said with a grin that looked too sober for ten firewhiskeys, turning on his heel and walking into the dorm to collapse on his friend who yelled a few rude words as he was awoken.

Aurèlie followed silently, avoiding Remus's amused eyes as she curled into Sirius's bed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, I'm going on vacation and the stupid beach houses we're renting doesn't have wifi. So no update next week. But, I'll write while I'm there and post TWO chapters when I get back, I promise. See you then!**


	13. Chapter 13

"But, sir, I don't understand how only learning to apparate five feet in front of me will ever help me in the outside world," James reasoned. "Wouldn't it be more reasonable to apparate somewhere we actually want to go?"

"Like the girl's dormitories," Sirius offered.

McGonagall did not think that was quite as funny as Aurèlie and James did.

"So just remember the three D's," the Ministry official said, turning away from the Marauders. "Destination, Determination, Deliberation."

"Step One," Aurèlie mouthed to the boys.

"Step One: Fix your mind on the desired destination," the man said.

"Like the girl's dormitories?" Sirius asked.

Professor McGonagall still did not appreciate the joke.

"Step Two: focus your determination to occupy the visualized space."

"Oh, I'm visualizing it," Sirius muttered, waggling his eyebrows at Aurèlie who flushed and looked away.

"Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind into every part of your body."

"I know what part of Sirius's body is being flooded by yearning," Remus said with a slow grin.

Sirius and James erupted in laughter. McGonagall cast a silencing charm on the two boys and Aurèlie, Remus and Peter began laughing, quietly enough, though, so McGonagall wouldn't hear.

"Step three," called the Ministry official, "When I give the command, turn on the spot, feel your way into nothingness, and move with deliberation! Ready now, one..."

Aurèlie looked at Peter who had an equally alarmed expression at being told to apparate so quickly.

"Two..."

She turned her gaze back to the hoop and frowned. How was one supposed to feel nothingness?

"Three!"

Aurèlie turned on the spot and promptly stumbled back, falling on her butt. Peter was wobbling in place, looking an ill shade of green. Sirius and James hadn't even tried, still roaring with silent laughter. Aurèlie didn't want to, but she looked over at Remus anyway and, not to her surprise, found him standing in exact center of the hoop looking rather unthrilled. She scowled at her friend and decided not even to attempt to look for Lily.

A sudden scream pierced the room and James and Sirius looked up from their mime-like fit to see Bellatrix standing beside her hoop with her right arm completely disconnected from her body.

McGonagall must have dropped her silencing charm when the Heads of the Houses ran towards her, because as soon as the purple smoke had cleared and her arm found it's way back to her socket, James and Sirius could be heard clearly over the laughing of the entire Gryffindor side of the Great Hall.

The rest of the year when by in flashes of long, horrible hours of studying and long, horrible hours of taking tests until it finally bled into summer. Mr and Mrs Evans were taking Lily to some island in the Caribbean and were more than happy to accept Aurèlie into their family the moment she was mentioned by Lily. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter said their goodbyes at the platform and Alice crushed both girls in a hug that was surprising for a woman of her stature. With that, Lily and Aurèlie followed Mr Evans to meet with Mrs Evans and Petunia at the airport.

"I mean, I understood that when you said flying you didn't mean broomsticks," Aurèlie said, looking out the floor-to-ceiling waiting room windows overlooking the runways. "But I don't think I like those things."

Lily watched as the (recently) brunette narrowed her eyes at the airliners. "It's no more dangerous than working with James in Potions."

"Unless the fuel tank explodes," Petunia said snottily, not bothering to look up from her nail file.

The witches looked at her and Aurèlie shrugged a shoulder. "Obviously, you don't know what it's like to work with James Potter and his exploding cauldron."

"It's not like a chemistry explosion," Petunia huffed, putting her nail file in her purse. "It's huge and in midair."

"Are we allowed to do Side-Along Apparition with Muggles, Miss I-Passed-the-Test-the-First-Time?" Aurèlie asked.

"I don't think so, Miss Fifteen," Lily grinned.

Aurèlie turned to Petunia with the expression one might wear when telling your child you ran their dog over. "Sorry, looks like you're screwed."

**Short, short, short, neoncherries apologizes profusely. She says she'll put up two soon, she's horribly violently ill and I don't like being near her enough to type for her anymore (she can't see the words on the screen, they swim like fishies). **


	14. Chapter 14

The rest of the year when by in flashes of long, horrible hours of studying and long, horrible hours of taking tests until it finally bled into summer. Mr and Mrs Evans were taking Lily to some island in the Caribbean and were more than happy to accept Aurèlie into their family the moment she was mentioned by Lily. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter said their goodbyes at the platform and Alice crushed both girls in a hug that was surprising for a woman of her stature. With that, Lily and Aurèlie followed Mr Evans to meet with Mrs Evans and Petunia at the airport.

"I mean, I understood that when you said flying you didn't mean broomsticks," Aurèlie said, looking out the floor-to-ceiling waiting room windows overlooking the runways. "But I don't think I like those things."

Lily watched as the (recently) brunette narrowed her eyes at the airliners. "It's no more dangerous than working with James in Potions."

"Unless the fuel tank explodes," Petunia said snottily, not bothering to look up from her nail file.

The witches looked at her and Aurèlie shrugged a shoulder. "Obviously, you don't know what it's like to work with James Potter and his exploding cauldron."

"It's not like a chemistry explosion," Petunia huffed, putting her nail file in her purse. "It's huge and in midair."

"Are we allowed to do Side-Along Apparition with Muggles, Miss I-Passed-the-Test-the-First-Time?" Aurèlie asked.

"I don't think so, Miss Fifteen," Lily grinned.

Aurèlie turned to Petunia with the expression one might wear when telling your child you ran their dog over. "Sorry, looks like you're screwed."

* * *

><p>"I'm going to be sick," Aurèlie moaned, swaying slightly as she clung to Lily's arm.<p>

The redhead rolled her eyes as she lead her friend out of the airport and to the car the Evans had rented for the vacation. The air smelled of saltwater and the vegetation was almost greener than the magically cared for grass of Hogwarts. Aurèlie picked her head up from where it had been buried in Lily's shoulder, looking around at the palm trees critically.

"So this is your idea of a good time," Aurèlie started slowly and Lily clamped a hand over her friend's mouth.

"It'll be your idea of a good time by the end of this too, Miss Pureblood."

Lily's grin faltered as Petunia muttered something about purebloods and dog breeding and Aurèlie stretched, knocking the hand away from her face. She stepped forward, spinning around to face Lily. "Well then you better start showing off that beach, yeah?"

"Yeah," Lily said, her grin returning as her father finished packing in the luggage and herded them into the car.

"Well wow." Aurèlie stared down from their hotel room's balcony. "That's..."

"Enchanting?" Lily asked, glancing over at the beach with a smile. "Gorgeous? The most beautiful sight you've ever seen?"

"It's not a mirror, so no," Aurèlie turned back to the redhead. "Not the most beautiful sight I've ever seen."

Lily tutted at her. "So conceded. You're more like Sirius every day." The redhead did not miss the way the blond's cheeks darkened, or the struggle in her visible eye as she tried to find non-incriminating words. Lily beat her to it. "So what's going on between you two anyway?"

Aurèlie stared at her friend as if she was being betrayed. "Nothing. Why does everyone ask me that"" she snapped finally, turning back to the ocean.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Who else asked you that?"

"Remus and Peter and James and Alice and everyone else in the entire world!" Aurèlie exploded, spinning back around and throwing her arms up. "There's nothing between us, I think I would know if there was!"

"Aurèlie, I think you are the only one that doesn't know," Lily said gently, watching as her friend stalked back into the room and collapsed face-first on her bed.

"Even if I did like him, he doesn't like me like that," the blond mumbled into the comforter. "We're just friends."

"You run away from him every time you get close, how could you possibly ever get to being more than friends?" Lily tossed a pillow at her and Aurèlie let out a wail before sitting up. She pulled the pillow to her chest.

"Say, theoretically, I do like him. I ask him out and then what? He says no. Friendship over."

"What if he says yes?"

Aurèlie frowned. "Then we date for a month until he gets in my pants and we break up. Friendship over."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Aurèlie, he's not going to break up with you as soon as he gets in your pants."

"That's what he does to all the other girls!" Aurèlie protested.

"You're not like all the other girls, you're-"

"Come on, losers, we're going to the beach now!" Petunia yelled from the other side of the door.

Lily sighed, standing up from her own bed and walking over to her suitcase to pull out a bathing suit. She looked back at Aurèlie as she walked to the bathroom to change. "You're special to him. He's not going to risk losing you again."

Later as the girls were lying on their beds, chattering about whatever nonsense came to mind, a sharp ringing startled Aurèlie from mid-word and she narrowed her eyes at the hotel phone on the table between their beds.

"Pick it up," Lily said.

Aurèlie turned her staring from the phone to her friend. "Pureblood." She pointed at herself. "Muggleborn." She pointed at Lily.

Lily made a hum of acknowledgement and rolled over to pick up the phone. "'Lo?"

"HELLO? HELLO?"

Lily grimaced and held the phone away from her ear. "Who is that?"

"LILY? LILYPAD, DARLING, IS THAT YOU? CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

"James?" Lily asked, holding the phone slightly further away from her ear as Aurèlie laughed. "James, why the bloody hell are you screaming? I can hear you."

"OH, OKAY. I JUST – YOU SAID THAT WE SHOULDN'T OWL YOU SINCE YOU'RE WITH MUGGLES AND REALLY FAR AWAY – HEY, NO, GIVE IT BACK!"

"Lily? Are your eardrums still intact?" Remus's soft voice came after a moment of scuffle.

"Yeah, Remus, what's going on?" Lily held the phone closer to her ear and waved her free hand at Aurèlie's snickering.

"James and Sirius decided that they should call you since you're an ocean away–" Lily assumed Remus was holding the receiver of the phone when she could barely hear him yelling something at James and Sirius. "–And they called before I remembered that neither of them are muggleborn or taking Muggle Studies."

"Well thanks for saving me from deafness," Lily said. "How are you putting up?"

"They're driving me insane – James – no – Sirius, behave yourself – James wants you to know that he misses you, Lily."

Lily smiled softly. "I miss you too, James."

"Is Aurèlie there?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, she's sitting right here." The girl in question perked up.

"Sirius wants to tell her that she better spend time with him this summer."

Lily repeated the words to Aurèlie and she smiled. "Of course I'll spend time with him."

"She says she's missing him too, can't wait to see him." Lily batted away the pillow that was thrown.

"I'm having Aurèlie Withdrawal!" came Sirius's voice and Lily grinned as the blond blushed.

"Peter wants pictures of the beach – no – James – I'm not going to ask her that – fine – Lily, James demands a picture of you."

Aurèlie let out a triumphant "ha!" as Lily blushed. "I actually have a great picture of me and Aurèlie, how about two copies? One for James and one for Sirius."

"YES!" came James's and Sirius's voices and Aurèlie threw another pillow at her.

"Okay, I have to go," Lily said. "Aurèlie's going to run out of pillows to throw at me and we want to go get ice cream before the shop closes."

"Don't run off with any boys, Rose!" Sirius seemed to be further away from the phone but his voice was still loud enough for both girls to hear. "It's too hard to be possessive when you're on another continent!"

Lily could barely hang up the phone; she was laughing so hard. Aurèlie threw another pillow at her.


End file.
